'':vM:

UC-NRLF

^C 15 TSD

I'.vf
S

.|^^<

i'Vii

.(,,.. ,1','

'

:-;'.'

f^;.'

',,

i_!.'^'

illiiiiilM^
iHvi ';'/''-'"'

{ni;,

'.'V-

-,

<'^'

'

.'

'

-..f

,"',

'
,

GIFT Of

Harry

'^.

Stevens

-g-^

:*

-^^v
_#

^'

i!*V
>W'

2S

-^
.^

/-.

>i5f!..

.~Jj

-<::>.

'M

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in

2007 with funding from

Microsoft Corporation

http://www.archive.org/details/earlychinesewritOOchalrich

MEMOIES

j,o >
^'i,i

>'
1

OF THE

OARNEaiE MUSEUM.
NO.

VOL. IV.

1.

EARLY CHINESE WRITING.

By Rev. Frank H. Chalfant.
I.

II.
III.

Illustrations of Early Writing Derived from Ancient Inscriptions.

Notes upon the " Shuo Wen."

The Royal Edict Confirming

the

Domain

of San.

IV. Ancient Inscriptions upon Bone and Tortoise Shell.

Prefatory Note.

The Rev. Frank H.

Chalfant,

who

for nineteen years has

the Province of Shantung, China, has devoted

archaeology,

and more particularly

throw

upon the

light

much time

to the study of Chinese

Chinese writings which tend to

to the ancient

origin of the present written

been a missionary in

and printed symbols.

Upon

the

occasion of a recent visit to the United States the writer induced Mr. Chalfant
to

put into shape

several years been laboring at

interesting

part

memoir upon which he had for

moments of leisure.
It embodies a large amount of

for publication the following

and curious information collated from Chinese

known

to students of the Chinese language, has not

accessible to philologists.

sources, which,

though in

been put into a form easily

Mr. Chalfant in his memoir has not confined himself to

known hitherto, but has embodied in his paper the results of original
observations made by him upon archajological material acquired by himself and
material

others from the Province of Honan, consisting of inscriptions of great antiquity

upon bone and

tortoise-shell.

yield valuable results.

This material when further examined promises to

For the

first

time, so far as

tive translation of the edict designated

given.

This

is

is

known

by Mr. Chalfant

to the writer, a tenta-

as "

The San Edict"

is

a legal paper of undoubted antiquity, going back at least to 1000

B. C.
1

759952

'i'

>*
1

'.:>

-a

v*

>
'ail':

2.

ft

. " .

'

'

f </;;

,.

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

:M,r/'Chalfant has with great patience

and

own hand

with his

skill written

the

characters which are employed in the text and accompanying plates, which have

been carefully reproduced by photogravure.

W.

Holland,

J.

Director of the Carnegie 3hiseum.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF EARLY WRITING DERIVED FROM

I.

ANCIENT INSCRIPTIONS.
The study
branches

of alphabetic or syllabic languages readily resolves itself into two

orthography, which concerns the correct use of

the history of these phonetic signs

syllables as writing-signs

and

syllables

and

and etymology, which deals with the deriva-

words and their successive changes in meaning.

tion of

and

letters

The

fact that the letters

have only a phonetic value, and are used without

reference to their original and inherent significance, causes a distinct demarcation

between the two branches of philology just mentioned.

known
it

that our letter

was originally an ox's head and

For example,

it is

signified that animal,

does not follow that every word containing the letter

well

but

must needs have some

connection with an ox.

Turning now
or symbol
" ox,"

it

occurs alone or in

relation the accepted

owing

Where

is

in the

bears.

it

to that of the primitive ideogram.

main ideographic, with a tendency

to the infusion of certain classes of signs called " radicals "

the " phonetic "

is

Here the word

very different.

meaning which

meaning of the symbol has

The Chinese language

is

The A still means

combination, and the student must determine what

in itself significant of the

is

when

to ideographic languages, the case

and

to syllabism
" phonetics."

purely such, the student need not attempt to reconcile the

accepted meaning of the complex symbol with that of the phonetic sign, the specific

meaning of which may be quite

the phonetic occurs.^
tion of the " phonetic "

foreign to that of the

At the same time

was

ated, they applied it widely,

at

it

complex symbol

one time a new idea to the Chinese.

and where a writer discovered

in

many

Anglo-Saxon words,

instances the Chinese resorted to

symbol into the phoneticized

'

Once appreci-

an old symbol some

it

to suit the phonetic

This recalls the old-time rage in Europe for Latin derivations, which led

to the Latinizing of familiar

In

which

must be remembered that the introduc-

semblance of a newly recognized phonetic, he forthwith altered

scheme.

in

An example

of this is

only a phonetic value.

shown

^J

g.,

tongue from A.

punning

yu

= "park. "

S. "

tung."

in order to bring a certain

Such may have been the case

class.

in the sign

e.

The phonetic j& yu means

'
'

in the

have, "

symbol

and here has

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WKITINU

^ cJamg "grasshopper."
=

chung

This

contracted from

is

t^*^

which

be called "chunfj," so that in selecting a phonetic sign "chung" a

made by adopting
add

to the

the symb(jl

^=

meaning of the symbol

nificant phonetics" to distinguish

of

This "multitudinous insect" happened to

"multitude" and v^ "insects."

"

made up

is

Without doubt many phonetics

multitude."

These we

which they occur.

in

pun was apparently

them from such

may

call "sig-

as are used without reference to

their inherent meaning.

thus appears that in the Chinese language orthography and etymology over-

It

The key

lap.

to the

meaning of a

sign lies in the

the changes in the form of the symbols

Besides the "phonetic"

meanings.

we

we

ideogram

When we

itself.

study

also learn the history of their varied

find another class of affixed signs intended

These have unfor-

to aid the reader in distinguishing the nature of the symbols.

tunately been called "radicals,"^ whereas "determinatives" or "classifiers" would

have been

which they are

or

{i\lt>

>f)

They determine the nature,

attached. Thus words of feeling

better.

radical " affixed.

The names

(;^).

The names

of

of metallic objects are

will likely

of

appear with the "heart

radicals,

reduced from the

Shuo Wen, A. D.

meaning

of the radical.

hundred

five

120, (see infra).

them designate incongruous groups of symbols not mutually

often utterly at variance with the

"
for " tree

accompanied by the "metal ('^) radical."^

forty "primitives" or "classifiers" of the

Many

or material of the symbol to

wooden things contain the sign

There are now two hundred and fourteen

and

class,

This has happened

through the accidental coincidence of forms in

many symbols which have

A marked

example of this incongruity

evolved from widely dissimilar

roots.

and

related,

been
is

the

group of symbols under Rad. 44 (/^ "corpse"), very few of which have any relation
to death.

Familiarity with Chinese modes of thought, methods of work, and social customs
aids

much

in determining the significance of certain old signs.

ancient institutions which have

the same manner.

now

For example,

it is

The

history of

passed away, or been modified, also helps in

a tradition

among

the Chinese that the East

When we

Palace was the hall of audience and place for administering the laws.
find an old

(E))

we

"judge" composed of the elements "east" (^) and "speak"

an appropriateness in the combination from the ancient custom of

symbol

see

for

"judging" in the "East" Palace.*

^Tlie Chinese

name

is !X!

^p

(s'i-pu

"word-class" or "classifier."

The

collo<|nial

term

is

l|Z

&M

nm

" word-raotber."
'This

is

nsnally termed the "gold radical."

It

means metal

of

any kind, and " gold " only by

its

preeminence

as a metal.

<The

edict of

Wu Wang (?),

referred to elsewhere as the

"San Edict," was "given

in the East

Audience Hall."

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

Care must be taken not to overvalue fantastic and distorted symbols, due to

Sometimes a pictograph occurs where a descrip-

illiteracy or intentional alteration.

tive

ideogram already existed

for the

same

Thus

object.

the picture '^'* occurs for the descriptive symbol,

"bird"

-jl

with "claAvs" (A and "feathers,"

The

(modern |^

tla

While the

compared with other

characteristic of a chicken as

not pictorial.

f\.

in a certain old inscription

ki

"chicken"),

latter contains

nothing

and

birds, still it is descriptive

picture of the bird answers the purpose of conveying thought

just as well as the descriptive symbol, but

They

are identical as pictographs.

it

would be wrong

are merely

to infer that the

two separate signs

for the

same

two

idea.

Possibly the writer in this case was not familiar with the existing sign, and so drew

a picture of a chicken which answered just as well, and was quite in keeping with
Instances do occur where an incongruous collection of

the genius of his language.

elementary signs in the modern symbol resolves

Take the symbol

are traced back.

itself into

" to fly " (fei) as

an

a pictograph as the forms

illustration of this,

beginning

with the modern form: ^<ff|<^<:^<;(^<^- Here, from a conventional modern

sign, we trace the successive forms to that of an undoubted pictograph, wherein the
idea of flight

is

beautifully portrayed.

The appended list of some four hundred symbols will suffice to show that
etymology, when applied to the Chinese language, appeals mainly to the eye, and
hence has more of orthography in it than it has of phonology, the main thing in the
study of alphabetic languages.

Sources op Knowledge Concerning Early Chinese Writing.

The modern

style of

Chinese writing had

its

beginning in the reign of the

founder of the Ch'in Dynasty (B. C. 240), when the substitution of the hair-pencil
for the

metal stylus (Fig.

1)

for

engraving hard surfaces wrought an important

change in the shape of the symbols.

Prior to that date the prevailing scheme was

that of curved lines, due to the habit of engraving

upon copper,

other hard substances by means of a metal point.

easier of execution

not lend

than straight lines and angles.

itself readily to

ascendency until

it

these shapes,

and we

stone,

bamboo, or

This rendered curved lines

The

hair-pencil on paper did

find the "square character" in the

entirely supplanted the older system of "seal character" about

A. D. 400.

This change in penmanship so modified the appearance of the written signs as

to greatly obscure

and almost

'This resembles the pictograph

for

obliterate their pictorial character.

"kite,"

-^

see Plate

XV., No.

204.

Hence the

neces-

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

sity for seeking older sources of

information than that afforded by the modern text.

many examples

Fortunately we have

of the older text in (1) ancient inscriptions

preserved in existing works by Chinese scholars, a'nd in

(2)

exhumed

inscribed objects of durable materials, such as bronze, copper, stone,

and bone.

As

to the value of the first source, there is a risk that intentional

or accidental changes in the text

may have

occurred in copying from

The Chinese

older manuscripts or from the original inscriptions.

have not the high reputation

as faithful copyists

which

"

is

credited to

the Hebrews, whose scribes were superstitiously careful in reproduc-

Many

ing their Scriptures.

Chinese

classics,

have crept into the text of the

errors

which are undoubtedly traceable to

careless tran-

scription.

The student must

Such was

forged inscriptions.
first

further be on his guard against spurious

the reputed " Tablet of Yii,"

which

appeared as a manuscript copy purporting to have been taken

from a stone tablet found on a mountain in the Yang-tze

it

and

valley.

Had

proved genuine we would have possessed an inscription of the

greatest antiquity (circa

forgery

by

2200 B. C).

But

this is

now pronounced

and

the best Chinese scholars, both native

that published by a famous scholar of

(P/L ft)'

who

Shang-Kung

work of an

in 1803 reedited the

f

Al-i

/l^

g|

\^

i;{^),

Yang Chow, Juan Yiian

earlier scholar, Hsiie

1.

specimens

referred to

Form

bronze stylus

from

Perhaps the best extant collection of ancient Chinese inscriptions

is

Fig.
of

foreign.

chon

500),

re-

<ineed in size.

adding sixty-seven transcriptions to the four hundred and

ninety-three of the original treatise.

The vocabulary obtained from

all

these

yield only the conventional phrases inscribed

swords.

One

the reign of

inscription of three

Wu Wang {^ ^)

is

very limited, for most of the texts

upon

hundred and

sacrificial vessels, halberds,

fifty-seven

(circa B. C. 1122),

Chinese writing of determinate date.

and

symbols

is

and

referred to

affords the oldest

known

(See infra.)

Inscribed objects of undoubted genuineness, which have been exhumed, while

they prove the most reliable source of knowledge of ancient writing, are far from
satisfactory in that

it

is

seldom possible to

had a tantalizing habit of carefully inscribing

In fairness to Chinese authors, their

first

The ancient Chinese

the number of the year,' month, and

fix their dates.

editions are usually accurate.

It is in reprints that

numerous

errors

jccnr through careless proof-reading.

^Chinese chronology

is

not on a consecutive basis upon an established era, but upon the successive reigns, often

nbstituting the cycle-year for year of the reign.

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

day,

and omitting

to designate the reign.

libation cups are often inscribed thus

as a precious

Had

memorial

"

Their ancient

Tenth

for the perpetual use of

year, first

my

would have been

An

moon,

make

this vessel

descendants " (^

only the solicitous ancestor added the current reign,

and

sacrificial tripods

'^ j^).
^|
how much more valuable

his message to the antiquarian of to-day.

extensive find of inscribed tortoise shells and bones of sacrificial animals was

made by Chinese

1899 while digging in or near the ancient city Chao

in

Kuo

Ch'eng (|^
J^ i^), now Wei-Hui-Fu, in Honan Province. These have been
reviewed by the writer and found to be inscribed in an archaic style difficult to

may yield 600 different symbols, and are

probably referable to the early Chou Dynasty (circa B. C. 1000). (See infra.)
Small bronze objects which furnish meager data to the investigator of early
The

decipher.

symbolism are

entire set of inscriptions

coins, seals,

buckles, chariot hubs,

and martial accoutrements, such

and crossbow

as swords, spear-heads,

These furnish a limited vocabulary

triggers.

names and numerals, together with devices and monograms the

of which has been lost.

of geographical
significance

The inscriptions on coins

marks of uncertain meaning.

are prolific in

names of

cities,

numerals, and mint-

Contracted symbols are frequently noted on ancient

Chinese coins, just as on those of other nations, and allowance must be

this

when comparing

these symbols with the fuller forms found elsewhere.

j^ appears for (^

(modern form

a coin.

appears for

^^ often

made

|^)

for

Thus

used to this day to specify the denomination of

(modern form ^),

"

exchange

" or "

commercial

value."

Bronze and stone

of ancient symbols,

seals

by

their nature

monograms and

and use contribute but

fanciful signs

little to

having been in use

the

list

for this pur-

pose from the earliest times.

Trade-marks on pottery afibrd a few old symbols, especially those found on

ments exhumed on the

is

site

frag-

of ancient cities the date of the overthrow of which

approximately fixed by history or tradition.

Another important source of information

Han

Dynasty,

known as

the

Shuo

Wen

(^'

is

jQ

the Etymological Dictionary of the

" speech signs,"

which was compiled

The opinions of Sinologues have differed widely as to the value of this work.
After making allowance
for a corrupt modern text, and for the frequent flights of imagination made by the
author, it must be conceded that this celebrated work ranks high as an etymological
treatise, when compared with like works upon European languages produced at a
much later date by Western scholars. As an incidental evidence of the conscientious
by the scholar Hsii Shen and

firat

published A. D. 120.

CHALFANT: EAELY CHINESE WRITING

thoroughness of this Chinese lexicographer, he remarks concerning the symbol

ye that on the standard measures of Er-shih Huang-ti

form

For centuries nothing

appears.

"Y"

else

,=. 1^;

was known of

Ji^

(B. C. 230) the

'i^

unusual form until

this

a set of these old "standard measures" was unearthed, and there appeared the
sign

exactly as the lexicographer had noted.

'ij"

Unfortunately the original text of this famous dictionary

is

not extant, for

all

show the old symbols analyzed by the author Hsii in the style
a refined form developed during the Han Dynasty (B. C.
called "small seal"
206-A. D. 264).* Another valuable work on the ancient language is the Liu Shu

modern

editions

T'ung (A.

f"i3,)

"Comparison of the Six

another valuable treatise

Still

is

that

Scripts."

by a scholar of Shantung Province, Chou

}^ by name, whose beautiful and accurate .syllabary of the ancient Chinese language
is

based upon the Liu Shu T'ung.

Kang-hsi (A. D. 1670), and

It

appeared in the ninth year of the Emperor

printed in black and red ink for perspicuity.'

is

The

author adds a vast number of old symbols copied from antique bronzes and stone

presumably

tablets,

in private collections of

Chinese antiquarians.

These works show evidence of careful transcription and

bols,

but with characteristic vagueness, the authors

fail to

where they obtained their information and data.

classification of

record exactly

sym-

how and

Nevertheless I consider these

catalogues fairly reliable, barring typographical errors so frequent in Chinese books.

CHINESE IDEOGRAMS.
Origin of Chinese Writing.

The beginning of the Chinese

tradition that

it

written language

is lost

The popular

in obscurity.

began with knotted cords '" and developed through the grotesque

" tadpole letters,"

has

little to

substantiate

tions are extant, the symbols in

It is true that

it.

many

ancient inscrip-

which are formed by alternating light and heavy

strokes resembling the form of tadpoles, but

when

these are reduced to plain

writing they will be found to belong to a highly developed orthography not difFer*

As proof that the original text

of the

Shuo Wen was

Chinese etymologist of A. D. 1670, differ from those

Shuo Wen nearer

'

to the original

A complete copy

now

in a

more archaic

extant.

style, I notice that the

forms quoted by a

This writer must have had access to a texl of the

than that of to-day.

of the first edition is in po.sges8ion of the writer.

'"Granted that the Chinese, like other peoples in their primitive

state,

used knotted cords,

it

does not follow that

such a system of recording and transmitting ideas had intimate connection with a scheme of piotographs subsequently
devised.

It is

to imitate

it

beasts,

and

even possible that at an early date the tradition of a knotted cord system was so current as to lead writers

in {ascribing their written signs, just as they delighted to

insects into all the characters.

make ornamental

iusoriptions,

weaving birds,

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

Han Dynasty

ing essentially from the well-known "seal character" of the early

(B. C. 200).

more reasonable conclusion

drawn from what we

is

inscriptions, to wit, that the Chinese, like

by scratching rude pictures upon wood,

Among

the thought to be conveyed.

most ancient

find in the

most other peoples, began

to record ideas

stone, bone, or metal, in order to suggest

these rude beginnings of language are found

the outline drawings of animals, wild and domestic, which soon assumed conventional forms merely suggestive of the

tin

one instance a tiger

is

more elaborately carved

originals.
"
for " tree

represented with the attached symbol

as if to indicate that the beast inhabited the jungle, the sign

identical with

Ancient sym-

boHor jungle

rj^j^^

;^

oldest preserved inscriptions are

implements, upon stone and brick

divination,

()|<.)

being

" tree."

found upon bronze

tablets,

and on bronze coins vaguely referred

on bones used in

to the Yin, Shang,

vessels

and

sacrifice

and

and early Chou

Dynasties (B. C. 1100-2000), as already noted.

Such
coins,

inscriptions are unsatisfactory because of their brevity, and, in the case of

on account of the habit of abbreviation in order to save space and labor.

This

unfortunate characteristic renders the coin-inscriptions at once difficult to

last

decipher,

and unreliable

as complete specimens of early symbolism.

original Chinese writing

kinds, (1) those based

among

these primitive symbols,

upon the form of the

head or side-view of a "nail," or as

51^

object as

^ the

and

five fingers),

and

imaginary characteristic of the

object, as 3^

(now ^)

tical line

attached to

(" right

of authority, hence "father,"

hand

")

who was

(2)

be divided into two

and

left

picturing the

hands (contracted

those suggested by
" father,"

some

tlie

real or

composed of a

and signifying a "rod in the hand"

ver-

as a sign

absolute ruler of the household or clan.

Wang Chun

of Shantung, one of the greatest of

commentary

is

embodied

may

q f f (now T)"

right

which show the

and

seems a

was pictographic.

Pictographs, as found

from

It

from the oldest inscriptions on bronze vessels and tablets that the

safe inference

in recent editions of the

modern Chinese
Shuo Wen,

scholars,

states in his preface

that writing began with pictures of things which appealed to the senses.

developed into abstract ideas, and these in turn gave

rise to

whose
These

indefinable particles

such as conjunctions and prepositions (classed by the Chinese under the general
terra of

"empty symbols").

The same

"Chinese, following the Shuo Wen, consider this

account for the form

0>

^^^ ^^^ author

allied in form to a sting ("]")

of the

I prefer to

iis

scholar gives numerous examples of this

originally the picture of an insect's sting.

Shuo Wen adds that when men made

nails of metal

consider the nail as the original basis of the sign.

This will not

and wood, these were

CHALFANT

EARLY CHINESE WRITING

development, and while he introduces some absurdities, yet in the main makes a

argument

plausible

Many

for his theory of the origin of the written language.

of these primitive pictographs are

in use, but so altered, owing to the

still

present changed style of penmanship, that they are not recognizable until they are

Take, for example, the modern

compared with the successive preceding forms.

symbol

How

"elephant" (%).

for

little it

^<^<^<^<^<^-

evolution of the symbol through extant earlier forms:

anyone accustomed

The same evolution may be discerned

writing vertical lines.

most of the animals known

snake, tortoise, toad,
is

altered for

worm,

To

^ is only

to study orthographic changes, the proof is positive that

the original pictographic "elephant," with position

/^,

But note the

resembles that animal!

convenience in

in the symbols for

to the Chinese, as dog, sheep, cow, horse, deer, tiger, fish,

The

and swallow.

bird,

sign for "

man "

(Latin homo),

plainly a picture, derived thus, /^< /^</\<^> the legs being apparently the

only surviving members.

Plant

life

was also pictorially portrayed.

showing branches and

^}.

"herbs" was once

back to

roots.

^'i/,

;|;;^'Ms

depicting leaves

a " line-tree " or " hedge,"

clump of bushes
its

trees

"wood" was

and

and twigs.

originally

" tree,"

or "grove."

signifies "forest"

"indicator" can be traced

marking the boundary of a

field,

being a

pictorially suggested.

Inanimate objects came in

"ship," in

two

;:^

modern form,

thus, j^<^<as^iJC-,

is

for a full share

of pictorial representation.

scarcely recognized as an ideogram, but trace

and we begin

to detect its likeness to a Chinese junk,

it

-^
back

though

whether a side view, or that of a ship's compartments (m), niay be an unsettled

point.

^ (kin)

"

metal "

still

approximates

its

oldest forms, as,

^ ^

j^,

which prob-

ably refer to the process of smelting, being composed of two symbols for "

fire "

(^)

or "intense heat" under a cover," (/\ or P), very suggestive of molten metal in

the crucible.
Abstract ideas were also presented pictorially with considerable ingenuity.

"East"

"
() rising behind a " tree " (^) thus, ^ (now written ^) " West
was suggested by a " bird on its nest" {^J, the transition of which into the modern

being the "sun

"

form was as follows

idea "West."

'*
:

,^>

^ > ^>^>\5-

"Determination" was

Bii'ds seek their nests at sunset,

formed from "issue"

and "heart" {^), hence "heart-sprout," "heart-issue,"

mination."
"Still older forms of this

"Another old form

is ,.

show

interlaced branches of trees.

i.

e.,

(Ht.

hence the

"sprout";!;),

"purpose," "determi-

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

10

"To look" was light streaming from the eye, thus,

(now written fl) based
upon a peculiar notion still held by the Chinese that when blind " no light comes
out of the eyes" (& ^ /fj )^). "Large" was a man on another's shoulders
a

man

above another

^ (" large ")

idea that

horizontal line)

r*

^ "1^ ^

^'

a "

man

"

(/^

*^^ ^^^^

being the modern form).

The popular

(A) above the " average height " (shown by the

hardly sustained by the oldest forms.

is

is

Elaborately wrought pictograms were attempted at a very early date, of which

two examples

will suffice as illustrations

f^ "pao"

"house"

^jj,

(f^) containing

"earthern jar" (^),

^^
Fig.

^) denotes "valuable," "precious,"

(now,

"

3.

To cook

symbols.

symbol^ /or

cookiug-

"

It is

"jade beads"

articles of

or J), "shell" (^)

(f

original idiogram.

written
It is

and an

value to primitive man."

was perhaps the most complicated of

now

by a

suggested

ideas

^,''^

which retains

now pronounced

all

feVari

the ancient

all

the elements of the

and

"stove,"

signifies

stove.

and
is

as follows

from

($3

"wood-wood,"

i.

obsolete, a simpler

is

\i^

and

symbol having taken

" millet-bowl "

"two hands"

e.,fuel; ^^

its

all

The

analysis

H " oven-mouth "

and "jar";

D^ "fire,"

place.

%%,

the essentials of cooking.

EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN SYMBOLS.

From comparison
tain four

ways

in

of the earlier and later forms of Chinese ideograms

which the modern

style

1.

Contraction of early complex forms.

2.

Expansion of early simple forms.

3.

Artificial alteration, to

conform

we

ascer-

was evolved.

to the inflexible

system of radicals and

phonetics.
4.

Mechanical invention of new symbols, along conventional

lines,

by combin-

ing existing forms.

1.

This process
It

is

Contraction of Early Complex Forms.

common

to all languages,

whether ideographic or alphabetic.

grows out of the impatience of writers with unnecessarily complicated

ii?

(old

form

J^.)

'"^ " also," " but," has

dwindled

to

JJ)-

'^^^e

signs.

change was per-

haps thus, ]^>'^>^>^'i>f2>T!f.

"This symbol appears with many
''Complex as

be

this

of great antiquity.

symbol

is, it is

variations in old inscriptions, sometimes ornately distorted, as ^aS,

placed

among

the five hundred and forty primitives in the

^$J,

^.

Shuo Wen and must

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

:^

"a

ching,

only the curb.

now

It

^, had

for its

"well," gave

rise to

thus,

this

became

well," soon

4^, discarding the well

The ancient

appears as ^.

symbol #

11

This, from

mouth and

retaining

division of land into nine plots,

resemblance to the symbol for

its

common

the expression "well-field" in

Doubtless

parlance.

influence in simplifying the sign for " well."

had some

^^ si^, "retainer," became g] (modern 5\) by rejecting the significant sign 'W
(modern 't) " bind." It passed through the meaning of " petty-officer " to that of
the verbal sense "manage."

now merely

<0-

two pairs of hands united, became

it.

i^ hsin "heart," originally a picture of that organ,

"^ hung

" together," originally

f^ kung "fear" was

at first "

Many

(used only in combination).

contracted from

hands raised

is

as in terror,"

but

is

of the earliest extant forms

more elaborate ideograms, now

'

now reduced

to f\

had already been

thus rendering their original

lost,

significance difficult to determine.

Expansion of Early Simple Forms.

2.

At an early

development of the language, confusion arose out of the

stage in the

Thus

coincidence in form of symbols having widely different meanings.

"ten" gradually became

"at" or "here."

The

-}-,

and coincided with an existing symbol

latter

was accordingly expanded

of .^ a sign of disputed significance.

-|-

an early contraction of

kia

(now

to -^ tsai

like confusion arose

^)

which meant

-j-

by the addition

between

The

"finger-nail."

| shih

-j-

" ten "

and

resumed

latter

its

more complex form.

^
signs

left-hand "

teo "

till

^^

and

after B. C. 1000,

i/"-

" ''ig^^^^'hand "

when they became

"^

seem

respectively

to

have been satisfactory

(;^)

and

x (" labor ") should have been added to strengthen the idea of "

the sign

to say, unless the left-hand

tant

member

b "mouth" was added

for work,

sibly because that

was once used to such an extent as to make

member was used

(;;^).

left " is
it

Why
hard

the impor-

to emphasize "right-hand," pos-

Whatever may have been the

in eating.

significance of these additions, the fact remains that the older

symbols were thus

amended.

Another strange instance was that of l^ or ^ tso, " make," to which J\ " man
was added, thus, (|^ (modern {^) as if to indicate that man is the prime inventor."
"Some
vice versa.

writers in describing these signs have reversed them.

This

" The sign

adz in position

is

^
of

plainly shovjn in the old forms for

is

of very obscure origin.

chopping.

This

is

It

and

^,

The
viz.,

right

hand naturally points toward the

and

and

resembles an inverted ax ((j) with stroke added.

a mere conjecture.

left

"

Possibly an ax or

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

12

The

earliest recorded

signs to a system was

attempt to

by one Chou

hterary authority in the state of

"Chou Wen"

language as

Following

artificially

(^|),

Chou

name, being referred

since borne his

Old Symbols.

Artificial Alteration of

3.

reduce the heterogeneous written

(Ji]).

His very flowery system of writing has

to in all

Chinese works upon the history of the

(Chou-writing).^^

but of disputed date, was the catalogue of signs called Er Ya (^

The next great effort to classify the existing symbols was by the author of the

Jjl).

Shuo Wen,

this,

Hsii (^^), whose

stated.

He

to the

modern

posthumous lexicon appeared A. D.

classified all existing characters

classification

which they had no etymological

changed that they might be

of this was the

symbol

many

bunch of

"indicator" and to-day

Later

sprouts.

degrees, as a watch, barometer, cyclometer, etc.

its

from ^Y "plants," but

is

took the general meaning of

This interesting sign

an

It

now

is

artificial modification, for

prolific creature as

the scorpion or

classified as if

character ;^,

"fish,"

yii,

happens

been so altered as to appear to contain the symbol

This

is

misleading, for the "fire "

The symbol

now

is

classified

for

"swallow"

is

only the

(a bird)

under the radical %^

The antennae of

frog.^^

(-\f-)

" plants."

to be itself a "radical," but has

/n'*

(modified form of ;^), "

fish's tail

j^t is

derived

the oldest forms are

the scorpion or fore-legs of the frog have been confounded with ff

The modern

now appears

form or meaning.

another case in point.

this is

and ^, picturing some

the boundary

"lord" and ;^ "cloak," neither of which signs have any-

original

wan ("myriad")

This was

^ "cloak" in the anomolous form ^, seemingly

under the "radical" or primitive

thing to do with

mark

instance

applied to any instrument which records or marks

it is

it

artificially

A marked

classified for ease of lexicography.

^ piao, to which reference has been made above.

It depicts a

composed of a modified

This conventional-

These isolated ideograms were

affinity.

rise

incongruous symbols into classes with

originally the picture of a mulberry bush or other shrub used to

field.

120, as already

under 540 primitives, which gave

under 214 primitives ("radicals").

ization of the written language forced

of a

C, Avho became a

of the eighth century, B.

thus

fire."

^> |t> >^>S>^^-

analogous to that for "fish," but

" fire," contrary to its origin, the develop-

ment of the pictograph having taken place as

The above examples plainly show that the

^ ^m

follows

radical

and phonetic system was an

.iat-

invention at a date long after the heterogeneously devised symbols had become
current in writing, and even the
" This highly
" Analogous

compounding of signs had come

into vogue.

ornate style of writing was not generally adopte<1 on acconnt of the complexity of the symbols.

to the

Egyptian use

of the sign

" frog " for 100,000.

chalfant: early chinese writing

Mechanical Invention of

4.

This class of new characters forms by far the

tenths of the forty-five thousand symbols

thousand signs

an ample number

is

beginning of the Christian Era.

multiplication of characters

to

Symbols.

largest,

to

comprising perhaps nine-

Ten

Chinese lexicographers.

put to the credit of the Chinese language at the

roughly marks the date when the mechanical

Tiiis

became

known

New

13

excessive.

The

process was simple, that of com-

bining existing forms according to the conventional system of radicals and phonetics.
Indeed, for purposes of etymology three thousand symbols are all that need be ex-

amined, the

artificial

combination of signs having been begun as early as 500 B, C.

In every branch of industry new usages were requiring new names.

This lack

was supplied by the simple, though often clumsy, union of two or more existing
signs, usually

annexing a "radical"

Most of these new characters were

thing.

by

written language, as used

new

to suggest the nature or material of the

scholars,

short-lived,

is still

and to-day the

basis of the

the few thousand symbols of the class-

period (B. C. 500-200).

ical

Erroneous Deductions from the Modern Style of Chinese Writing.

Mistakes in comparative orthography frequently occur by drawing conclusions

from the modern Chinese "square-character," which has so far departed from the
original pictographic style as to be

sionally symbols are found,

than do

A
itive

an unsafe guide

to the casual observer.

which to-day approximate

Occa-

more

their originals

closely

the intermediate " seal characters."

few examples

may

be cited of such pictographs as have passed from a prim-

angular style through the rounded form of the "seal character" into the

modern " square-character," in which form they coincide with the original shape.
Take the modern symbol \J fien, "field." Formerly it was , but originally it

was H, a subdivided square farm.

a square, but
eral it

is

w^as

" enclosed area,"

was originally, as now,

long written thus Q, when curved lines prevailed.

unsafe to use the

The following
The symbol

ivei,

modern

will serve as

mu,

But

in gen-

style of writing for philologic deductions.

examples of the misleading nature of modern forms

" tree,"

might suggest a rooted

tree projecting

above the

ground, and, indeed, has been frequently so interpreted, but the original form,
or ^, shows a tree with branches
^flp'eng, "friend," looks as if

and
it

more complex form ^^,

""llj. "flesh," in

"

roots.

were twin moons

inferred, the duplicated sign for " flesh."

of a

But

(J^)

or, as

in fact this

has been actually

symbol

is

a contraction

a pair of birds," a happy symbol of " friendship."

combination usually appears as

shells," but I find no authority for such a derivation.

f[.

Some have supposed 00

to

have been

^^, "a

pair of

MEMOIRS OF

14

assumed the

certain writer has

CARNEGIE MUSEUM

TflE

sign

he makes the imaginary sign

this erroneous liypothesis

Had

dent of the three seasons of Orion."

and on

to be the original of Q, "sun,"

to correspond to " the tri-

he noticed that

Q was

once Oi such a

conclusion would have been impossible.

"ought," a sign of duty or necessity, looks like

pi,

"

heart" (/O) cut by a

Imagination might work out a theory based upon the heart cut or pricked

stroke.

by a sense of duty.

"No such psychological process

forms of this character, which are

matic forms

()^() is

"^ 6c

*^

>^<

even hinted at by the early

is

X jM-

the "small seal" character of the

modern

nearest chronologically to the

'^'^^ ^^^^

Han

ent form, while the part

^ has now become ^,

The resemblance

symbol.

to " heart "

forms have any suggestion of^, which

now

Let us

glance at another

many

matic form and sense of

Certain

is

None

phenomenon

as "slippery."

of the old
'^^

of orthographic evolution, the enig-

Chinese symbols.

Thus 4^

roots.

vertical

of Symbol and Meaning.

modern forms have such a variety of unrelated and

from several different

the

the central portion of tbe modern

the old writing of /\^\ " heart."

is

is

dots of the pres-

left

ings as to raise the suspicion that they present under one form a

Wen

The two

thus merely accidental.

Form

Incongruity Between

Dynasty, which

" square character " /J^v

curved lines of the older form correspond to the right and

^ these enig-

t'ai,

" lofty, large,"

is

mean-

conflicting

common

resultant

defined in the

Shuo

comparison of the old forms shows a divergence, as we go

back, toward two separate roots,

viz.,

^, which

is

three times the sign

^,

"large,"

forming an intensive signifying " very great," and ^, composed of " clay " j,
The
"hands" l^\ and "water"
a very appropriate symbol for "slippery."
;|;,

modern symbol contains elements

the meanings derived from
posite of both of the old

The

sign

^^^

jile

its

root

of both of these roots, though

^.

It is safe to

conclude that

it

retains only
t'ai is

a com-

symbols described.

means "harmonious," and

also

"a

mythical tree."

certain

These apparently incongruous definitions can be reconciled when we find among

the old forms

which
name.

^,

three hands together,

i.

e.,

"

harmony."

Again,

we encounter

*|*,

a symbol of vegetation and suggests the "tree," of which ^^ jiie is the

These both coalesced in J^^ and so give us the one symbol from the two widely

is

different roots.

'^tang,

means "ought," "count," "considered," "to pawn,"

"There

a striking analogy

'/y

'll'l'

is

'M*'

in

some

of

tlie

old

forms of

ij^

supposed to be lines on tortoise shell used tor divination.

with those of ^(^

to
ek'io

"obstruct,"
"omen,"

viz.,

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

The phenomena exhibited

etc., etc.

is

in

old forms lead us to suspect that

its

an incongruous composite from more than one

Tlie character ^^ [Ghih)

" to control."
river,

i'|;

The

is

oldest forms

being an old form for

and are analogous

these varied forms

>^

|^ (now

to

name

the

" to

have coalesced in

$|^

govern

too,

means "to govern,"

also

| plainly designates a

origin.

fo),!^, ^^so occur as

").

which

y^,

and

of a river,

"stream," but

it,

root.

show confusion of

o)

15

possible

synonyms,

conclusion

is

that

meanings of

retains the several

its

components.
Just as in other languages, the early juggling with orthographic signs has led to
puzzles in the shape of monographic signs which are the despair of the philologist,
unless he can recover the lost key.

curious phase of this juggling with writing-signs appeared at an early date in

the development of the Chinese language.

inverting an existing sign to signify
class of

The
as

refer to the habit of reversing or

This forms a distinct

opposite in meaning.

its

mechanically devised symbols.

process

may

be illustrated thus

Having accepted an English word

familiar with the

meaning of "child," we might have reserved

of good conduct, and then have

who has turned normal

conditions upside down.

when they

fu), the inverted character

now

it

"

to signify a child

written " p^iqo " (letters inverted) to

actually seized the ancients in China

hard

we might have adopted " drah " (the

Or, being
for the opposite meaning " soft."

reversed spelling of " hard ") as suitable

gal son"

"

of unyielding substances,

descriptive

written

for "

mean

a " prodi-

Such a conception

represented " unfilial " by <^ (now

son " (now written

te'i).

Another

which was formerly written ]^ and

It is the reversed symbol ^ (^ shcn) for "body," and
signified "to turn back."
hence was considered appropriate for the idea of "about face."

instance

is

that of the

2 (now twisted into

cMng "exact,"

H (now

silk "

was

reverse

The

it

altered to ^^^^ chile) as

little

this

"

to

to be III with variations.

This

he 4-^fei,

it is

the reverse of J[

Again, having become familiar

meaning "sever," depicting "cut

some scholar

to

adopt the

yet,"

have taxed the ingenuity of the ancient

sign-

^5 composed

of

to

^,j^

" silk," " knife "and " knot " equally

among the old forms of ^j^ ki, "to connect," several which seem
" sever," which would beanother way of reversing the
" not," and
^^,

further curious to note,

may

form

"H."
the negatives "no," "not," "not

form a survival of an old variant written

is

in

symbol now enlarged

ideographs for

do not," seems

suggestive of "cutting." It

of the sign.

and

short of an inspiration that led

effort to construct

We have in

meaning

" deficient,"

for the idea of "connect," a

"without" and
'2

^) means

the latter being the older symbol.

with the sign

(^),

obsolete sign

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

16

makers of China,

as will

be seen by noting the special

XXVIIL).
The most complicated
In

its

modern garb

latter.

the sign

is

suggests a likeness to

it

^"

iiiz hsile,

Wu," -'minus," "without."

" blood,"

and ^huo,

connected with neither of these, though for convenience

fact, it is

the

of all these

negatives (see Plate

list of

Taking the old form

as a

means

of comparison,

we

it is

" fire."

classed

In

under

find the upper part

cond^sed into j^, leaving the " two trees " ( ^^ as the origin of the
The Shuo Wen defines it as "lost" probably from
base of the modern symbol i>i\.
the sign ct in many old forms, which has that meaning. The inference by the
JL ) 'lost' (d) in the 'woods'
commentators of the Shuo Wen is, " 'man'
{^^)
(

has been

hence 'missing' 'minus.'"

for

This

is

a far-fetched explanation and

an essential part of the old symbol :^

The

list

random

strictly logical in

account

^.

I.-XXIX.

of pictographs and ideograms represented in Plates

complete nor

fails to

They have been

arrangement.

to illustrate the pictorial nature of the language.

selected

Many

is

neither

somewhat

at

of the symbols

given will not be found in the current Chinese-English dictionaries, for the obvious
reason that these works are abridged, excluding

have

obsolete signs which, how-

an important part in the early development of the written language.

ever, played
I

many

tried to give the original

meanings (where ascertained), which often seem

remote from their modern significance.

No

attempt has been made

to indicate the

old pronunciation, which forms a different branch of philology from that herein
discussed.

have followed, in the main, the

Wade

system of Romanization, with

a few changes which seem expedient in view of the poverty of sounds in the Peking
Dialect,
this

upon which

Sir

Thomas Wade based

system in distinguishing between the two

coalesce in Pekingese,

It is the

sular Body, by the Chinese

have departed from

sounds "ch" and "k," which

Customs and Postal

It is also

Journals of the Royal Asiatic Society.

Wade's system, and

is

in vogue, that

by

Sir Thos.

standard of pronunciation used

in his Anglo-Chinese Dictionary.

to

initial

and have introduced a few minor changes noted

Of the many systems of Romanization

most widely known.

his system.^*

Service,

l:)y

in the key.

Wade

is

the

the British Con-

and by Dr. Herbert Giles

used largely by contributors to the

This has naturally given wide circulation

sufficient reason for its adoption in

this paper.

The

changes introduced have been due partly to the author's choice, and partly to suggestions
i"

made by

See note at Plate

" A comparison
Wade's Systera

others.

XX VIII.

of the dialectic variations in

to indicate then).

sounds

especially the

old sonnds

will

show the inadequacy

of

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Seal

Modern

Form,

Form.

^
^

A. D.
jOO

iif
'^'

'."*'

e"".
Sound.

Elephant,
Image,

Tiger,

;t

h%.

tvi
ni

lib

ii

Horse,
iffi^

,-

Ox, cow.

4^

sheep,
yanij.

Dog, cur,
kovL.

A
(?

yd.

jy

W3

insect,

ch'uny.

(^

I*
t? t

Rude

outline of a tiger.

Outline of ram, with horns

prominent.

Animal with curled

tail

(like

Chinese cur of to-day).

'sg^

#^

11^
^^

lyory carving suggests 'image.'

1-

Worm,
11

Suggests a horned animal.

>3t3

kuei.

" Large beast

Kiangnan, with long proboscis and tusks.
A picture."

Shuo WC'n

in

f^H^^ ^

Tortoise,

Remarks.

TrK-

/IN

Toad,

^
rf

Fish,

Probable
Original.

o-

4 ^

Kam,
6

n#r^
^

Stag,

Older Forms.

hsiang.

lu.

Plate

IV.

Original form is deduced

from the extant forms.

-^^Sfr

Original form is deduced

from the extant forms.

Worm

with convolutions.

Long12

tailed

.*,

bird,
niao.

Pi

ii<;

Short13

tailed
bird,
chui.

-.f

Swallow,
yen.

ik

?X

Ai
#W#

ft

^i*-

'A i^^^

"th

rH".

^<y..

Chinese Ideographs.

Flying bird with forked

tail.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol

Sound.

,.

Seal

Form

A. D.

oi

100.

Pha>nix,
Jing.

^f.

^'O""-

_:

7L

Pig.

luan.

00

Wild
beast,

shou.

Raven,

MU
Qj

Mouse,
shu.

>it
Man
22 (generic),

(male);

24-

Woman,

Mother,
25

dain,

;%

^ ^

Rude

Son,

27

cliild.

Son,

Unman
28

body,
ithi'n.

head

deduced

from

picture of a pig.

^fTK

^^ ^^

Derived from No. 12, the

raven being perhaps the most

fc^

-C)

% %

\t

common

of long-tailed birds.

Rude picture of a rodent.

ShnoWen: "General name for

burrowing vermin."

A.

J]

R7\^'^\)C

^^j.^

Equivalent

"x

^A
* ^> ^ ^ ^
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^
^ ^ ?f ^f^^^ *
^
H ^
\
Hi^
#

;l

Chinese Ideographs.

to

the

Latin

"Immo."

"Weedy- field" ^ and No.

"muscle," suggesting

48,

man's labor.

Human

figure

with

bust

prominent.

Woman

with

paps promi-

nent.

(Used also of animals.)

f[

26

a bird's

\I7

mm.

now

radical.

Sign suggesting a beast, with

aninuU radical added later.

Man
23

ami bird

A if s t ^
-sr

20

Originally a picture of the

phd'ui.x, but

Original is
extant forms.

^^

/L

II.

Remarks.

Original.

oceros,
liai.

19

Probable

Older Forms.

iiv^

Rhin-

18

Plate

Unicorn,
chii.

17

IV.

Male

infant.

ShuoWC-n: "Form of child's

head."

(Synonym

of last.

Outline of
'

man"

above

the body
it.

with

'

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning
nnd
Sound.

29

Form.

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

Seal

.S
"o

Form,

100.

1^^

Face,

Ear,

^3

Mouth,
k'ou.

Hai r,

Hand,
shou.

Foot,
tnu.

Original is
extant forms.

'

%
W^

tf

V V

^X%

Outline of face
above.

fe

ft

with

hair

deduced from

Oblique eye (peculiar to the

ijhinese race).

Outline of the

III

Remarks.

II

pi.

^//

re

^7

Nose,

fe^

(e1,

i-^;)

Eye,

Probal)le
Original.

Older Forms.

A. D.

Head,
hIiou

30

Modern

Plate

IV,

Picture of
plionetic y^

ear.

the nose,

with

"pi" added

later.

W6n

Shuo

human

"That

with

which man eats and speaks.

.4

Possibly depicts a hairy

Sl^IL

picture."

Five

fingers.

Contains No.

(?)

tail.

110

"stop."

Descriptive sign, not pictorial.

Shuo Wen "Cheek-hair."

Rude picture of whiskers.
:

n Whiskers,

Waist,*
39

wish,

ym.
Hair
40

of tlie
head,
piao.

41

Heart,
hsM.

Finger
42

nail,
kin.

^
m
# #%
f
T t
V?i7

^
J^

tt
R

(^

n AtA

Vi^

\^

i^f

w y
f

^^i!?^

^4>f f

^
T

used only as a disjunctive

particle.

0^

</>

.^>

Now

(See note.)

Descriptive
symbol composed of two signs "long" and
'
'

feathers."

"Iltart" showing ventricles.

Usually used as cycle-sign,

being first of the " Ten Stems.'

Chinese Ideographs.
*The
"

original here given

wish," and so

is

tlie/ot/t radical

an actual form.

was added

Figure with arms akimbo, hence " waist."

to strengthen its old

meaning " waist," thus f&.

This sign was early adopted for "yao," meaning

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

^^and"^
o
1
Sound.

Modern

pjnn,

Form.

"2

A. D.
jPQ

IV.

Plate IV

Older Forms.

Finger
43

J."""'

inch,
ts'un.

Claw,

44

talons,
chao.

45

r\

Wings,
yu.

^^

* Form,
46

ance,

To

48

strength,

gape,
k 'an.

Hh

rn

ifi

^ ^

Remarks.

-^

Fingers with short

suggesting "joint."

Ss

ger and toe."

Shuo

?^

viao.

47

i]

appear-

Probable
Original.

Wen

"Nails

stroke

of fin-

Pair of wing.s, or Igng featliere.

t
Open mouth.

Cf.

No.

34.

Sinew,
li.

4n Eyebrows,

^ %

angle,
kiie,

ll

kiao.

'^

'^

^J

'^

Horn,
50

% ^'i !i^^

ffl

fZ'

(1^9

molar,
ya.

Front

52

teeth,
cA'i.

63

^
ah

fi

Oil

Ud,

e o ^

.it

111

Backbone,

cz

54

55

jou.

it?

Blood,
ksiie.

5g

xb

Flesh,

Tongue,
site.

Jfe

il

? R

gi^

u^Q

Mouth showing teeth. Phonetic was

"^

added

later.

Vertebrse.

Sign suggesting a mass of

tlesh.

Shuo

1 M
s

eye-brows.

Probably shows the grinding

surface of a molar.

Id.

Eye with

Earliest forms are inverted.

Tooth,
51

Overlapping muscles.

Wen

"Sacrificial

blood in a dish."

Tongue protruding. Older

forms than these might suggest

iS

the original.

Chinese Ideographs.
Depicts the human form, especially the face (contracted to the sign for "nose"), which now coincides with
traction.
Its special significance is " individuality," "decorum."

^ "pai" by further con-

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning
and

Modern
Form.

Sound.

IV.

Plate V

Seal

ig

Frm,

-a

a. D.

100.

Older Forms.

Probable

Remarks.

Original.

Worm,

? l^}%

57 winding,
pa.

Right
58 hand, also.

yu.

59

Grasshopper,
chuvg.

CO

gj

^}^S^'

man.

Corpse,
shih.

^^

nnn
f$\

stripes,

ghan.

63

'^^y'
Jei.

King64

fiither,

ts'ui.

Folded
65

hands,
ch'a.

No.

Cy.

66.

"Multitude"
(now
and "insects."

Shuo wen

^^

1{

A ^i^^kf-

con-

tracted)

"Eggs

oviparous

creatures."
"testicles."

of

all

Also

()0

means

z^

for man recumbent.

44lh radical of an incongruous group.

Sign

? ^ ^

Feathers,

62

Closely allied to No. 11.

'^

4 *lt^*#^,^
^ a:
^
^
s
H^l

^%

Now

Sign suggesting feathers.

Used only in combination.
Of. No. 40.

Bird flying.

^^
^^

Descriptive sign from

"feathers" and "cloak" referring to plumage.

Hands

^^

clasped.

p)

Eight
66

ti^^

hand,
yu.

Originally game as No. 58,

with No. 34 added.

Left

67

)iand.

Friend,
yu.

Compan69

70

ion,

Crowd,
chung.

;t

pL

3^

^f/^
^ ^\ ^i ^ -^
!^/l

Hands extended

^^

^S

>1

AW

^1

1^ T

?i?ia

Chinese Ideographs.

Sign for "labor" has been

added to this.

in friendly

greeting.

Wen:

Shuo
Probably

though

"Phoenix."

pair of birds,
many consider it one

only.

" Tliree men,"

to wliich

obscure sign was added.

an

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning

^^^^

p^^^^

c^"".
Sound.

Form.

"^

A. D.

,,

yj

Plate

IV.

VI.

Seal

Probable

Older Forms.

Remarlcs.

Original.

j(,0.

Sun, day,

e 9

0-<J)-

Oo

Sun, witli possibly a sunCoinoides with Egyptian

spot.

o,o.

Moon,
72

month,

>1

yiie.

\-3
73

Stars,
hsing.

^1.

y^ Morning,
(an.

76

76

77

a
a

Crystal,
eking.

ch 'un.

:t

Qf.

Three

to

68

00

# # 7 ) @^ I

glraiSlJi^^'^l:

stars,

No. 131.

whicli

phonetic has been added.

Sun

t u%%t'%'^^

Spring,

Bright,
ming.

o o

"Crescent."

just

Triple
fracted

by

above the horizon.

when

sun, as
a prism.

re-

Sprouts and buds started by

the sun.

Moon-lit window (or) sun

and moon.
Probably

of double origin.

Heaven,
sky,
t'ien.

A sign of obscure meaning,

but probably symbolic of deity.

Eartli,
(as pro-

ducer),
a.

i^

4;iix

E.irth,

80

soil,

ground,
t'u.

81

82

83

Fire,
huo.

Metal,
kin.

Burn,
fen.

84

Water,
shui.

^ I

i4

K
^A^

t t
t

ii X

^ iS

ifc

n
^

'X

"Eartb" i, and "^ sym-

if

)>,(

Rising flames.

il2

sprout
ground.

Crucibles covered, or intense

heat covered,' as in smelting.

burning.

Two

last

are variants being "fire" with

iji,^

^Je

fM

Chinese Ideographs.
*The

tlie

plionetics.

>k
'.i.

Ik

principle."

te

to

J_

Trees

ft XX

"female

springing out of

/\A>.

of

Mother-earth.

Supposed

>A<

. -

bol

three last forms are variants based on "earth," "hill," and "water," of obvious significance.

Ripples

on

water.

cides with Egyptian

Coin-

:;xO!!.-

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning

Modern

and
Sound.

Seal

Form

a
M

Form.

Plate

IV.

Probable

Older Forms.

Remarks.

Original.

A. I).
100.

VII.

Rivulet."

85

86

River,

Stream thirty

;ii

ch'uan.

({K

<{^

^ ^

Ice,

^K

vi7

spring,
ch'uan.

>X

ft

Pool,

88

abj'ss,

in

yikm.

89

90

>K

ft)

1^

Si yi\
^ij

TIninder,
lei,

\-n

lui.

iS^

93

Lightning.*
den

ijfj

Hill,
ahan.

d^

95

mound,

ClitT,

har{.

96

Tree,

98

tU
i!J

Stone,
rock,
nil ill.

97

(i^fi

wood,
mu.

/f

/5

/v

*
S^

4i i

Or
lln.

Cracks or wrinkles in

Water

ice.

issuing from a pool

or vent.

Picture of a pool, to which

the nater radical has been
added.

diD

'

^-^

f
^,^
A) * |i
^ \^ ^ik^ifli jAi

A M IT

Natural

94

))|((

"River."

';i'

/^lltlfilt^

IF

92

Cloud,
yiin.

q,

Rain,
yil.

^* ^
1

Water
87

^1

^li

pivrj.

miles

long.

or -^ >^

P^

Rain drops under arch of

heaven modified to resemble
"sky."

Wavy

clouds with sign S-.

"above," altered to |^ "rain."

Symbolic of reverberation
ijam radical was
added later.
of thunder,

'

Thunderbolt, to which
rain " has been added.

Three peaks.

Eminence
'hill."

(Cf.

Shuo

WCn

hill

Cf.

Egyptian

(a coincidence).

than

smaller
No. 93.)

" Rock on a
which men may

under

dwell."

Perhaps r^K;k-8trata,or^fone

/f

falling from a

t^
W n^i^-^
^

;ii

Shuo Wen: "From ^f* plant

Symbol for

with roots below.

all

wowlen things."

Interlaced

tl-

cliff.

plified into

branches,

"two

sim-

trees."

ClIINKSE TdEOGUAPH.S.
* This

is

also the original of

became the sign

two meanings.

for

^^

"deity" from

ahen "deity."

After

much

research

superstitious dread of lightning.

am

inclined to consider these as depicting lightning,

Later Iho radicals

and

lifg

were respectively adiled

which

to distinguish the

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol IV

Meaning
and

-:

Ssiil

Modern

Form,

Form.

^
K

A. D.

Sound.

99

Flowers,
p'i.

ui

Plate

VIII.

Probable

Older Forms

Bemarks.

Original.

100.

ill)

SbiioWen: "General

terra

Howers."

for

Outer
liu.sk

of

100 grass or
grain,

* Thrifty
101 growth,

^llf-

':H

leaves,
te'ao.

hua.

4.t-

glory,
huu.

ch'u.

t Source,

of^
ihih.

To
log

pro-

to
bear,

tllice,

sh&ng.

110

111

'''^/;;'^P'

Straight,
exact,
eh&ng.

)t

+/-

IE

i $

Vp "grass" and sign

husks peeled

off".

Obsolete, except in combination.

ShuoWen:

"Difficult, like

sprout forcing its

through the ground."

Used only in combination.

ieneral sign for plants.

t #

t^

(^)^

by

adding a phonetic.

Picture of a

AlA

way

tracted

to

4-C added.

\)'
Cf.

flower,

con-

and phonetic
No. 106.

A gorgeous flower. Closely

allied to No. 105, but consid-

T ^ T

/%IA

V-

U/IW

^"^^

^ i

\l

IXi

^i ^

^iL

^111^

1 1

L^

\l

iH

CE

J 1 2

Shuo Wen.

:li

t
^

oJ::

ered a separate primitive by

Al'^

1(6

JiJi

A sprout further developed

than Nos. 107 and 108, as
having reached maturity.
in
its
Sprout impeded
growth, hence "stop." Analogous to Nos. 107 and 108.

Perhaps

from

"sprout"

and "upward." Normal

growth.

ant,

for

Later enlarged to

H-y

y.**'

Luxuri112

^^

H-ll^

+/

^ f ^

issue,

108

Ti

-f-L

tTo
107

'h

From

+f

Flower,

Flower,

106

Grass,

105

cimn.

,t, Diflicult,

104

tk

p'o.

103

i i
\.

to

See No. 287.

thrifty plant.

Related

No. 109.

Chinese Ideographs.
* Resembles No. 100, but Shuo
t These two symbols had a
sessive sign like

"

of," derived

WOn

common
from

tlie

considers

it

of separate origin.

No. 107 has retained its original sense, viz., " to si)rout," "issue."
idea " source."
Both were originally "a sprout ffpip Ml? ground."

origin.

No. 108 has become a pos-

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol,

.,

Modern

Tnd

Form.

o'

J
Sound.

113

Herb.s,

hui.

_:

Seal

J
"2
^

Form,
A. D.

Plate IX

IV.

Probable

Older Forms.

Remarks.

Original.

jQ(,

General term for "herbs."

+ :^

No

tTr

distinguishing feature.

jffy

Luxnri114

-\f

ant,

Allied to No. 115,

yiny.

^
^

Jungle,

115

rude,

mang.

, , ..

chu.

Growing
118

crops,
Ao.

Ylf

^;t

rhrh

I.

5^

4"1^

1^

^5r

tt

v>

I % 1

'

kiu.

Bamboo,

-^^

Leek.s,

lie
lib

q. v.

^A"
"Plants" and "large" re"dog."

peated, modified to j^

>^

Picture of growing leeks.

^^

Pendent bamboo leaves.

One

t^

tt^

sfi

rl

more

or

stalks of grain,

with head and leaves.

Growing
liy

Kow

rice or
millet,

level,

chH.
Fruit,

120

result,

kao.

East,

121

luTiy.

West,

1-.2

124

125

t^tttt^^lM??
I S

indicator,
pkio.

Shelled
rice or
millet,
mi.

Thorn,
te't.

(^

*
k

t f

^ ^

E.

126

jujube
tree,

rising behind a tree.

Shuo Wen: "Bird on nest

Not related to its

TL

at sunset."

radical r^.

/^

-H^

fv

i^

:.:

tsao.

mulberry or other

mark bounds

*
*
*

:*:

Depicts shelled grain.

used of growing grain.

Thorns >< on a

tree.

Thorn duplicated.

Chinese Ideograths.
'

Shuo

W6n

puns on this

"A

vegetable of pefennial (kiu) growth, hence called

of a

field.

^-*

of

bushes to

isv

fruit

on a tree."

Buckthorn, or

even height of grain.

Clump

*.

grain stalks with

" Level," from

Shuo Wen: "Depicts

I I

^ 6

of

heads.

Sun

i5;

Landmark,

^^

?!?

i
vT)

hni.

123

ft

ripe

'

kiu.'

The

forifl

of the plant

above the ground."

(Not

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning
ant)

Sonnd.

, Chestnut,
'^'

It.

Seal

Modern

.u

Form,

Form.

"p

A.

\?7

130

Chestnut burs on a

Sliell,

132

5^

A,SI.

value,
pel.

t:

0\

mnn

Season,

Evening,

9>

^S^i^?^t

ki.

131

f
i.

,u.

li

])

\1?

7B

~^

^ i ^

'^

9^^

k ao.

Light,

140

^ ^

;l

flame,

kuantj.

Wdn
.

" Picture of a
"Ancients ex-

money."

shells as

salt.

Twist of silk, or possibly

the larva of silk cocoon familiar to the ancient Chinese.

Derived from No. 134.

1 r T
t 1!f f

T
f!^ilft

suggesting

rising

vapor.

Sleam from
from sun Q.

fire !)^,

or mist

'-^M

m
^

Z&

jggt Mirage,

Cf.

72.

changed

n n
^

Signal,
p'iao.

No.

sea shell.

/tN

ticket,

No. 129 mav be "crops"

and "thousand." No. 130
may be "crops" and "son."

Sign

k'i.

138

These two signs are

closely related, but are obscure in origin.

Bivalve shell.

Vapor,

Steam,

tree.

F^arth-basins for evaporat-

4
n.

joiT

Leaves on a

ing

Silk

iQR

tree.

radical.

Shuo

I*

a
si'.

its

New moon at evening.

134 Silk, mi.

135 thread,

related to

'i^^u^^

Not

Shuo Wi*n
"The tree
whose leaves silkworms eat."

* Salt
133

Remarks.

100.

i IT

sang.

Year,

Probable
Original.

tree,

129

Older Forms.

D.

<f^

Mulberry
128

Plate X.

IV,

Smoke above "

cient

method

.'Anfire."
of signalling in

China.

Undulating

air.

"Man " bearing "torch."

(Variants show other roots
containing "sun" and "fire." )

Chinese Ideographs.
Chinese obtain

salt

by evaporation from

upon the alkali plains. This sign is either

complex symbol is now used instead of this,
obstructed as it curls upward."

large, square, shallow pools

or basins, or possibly suggests a field with patches of alkali.

t

Shuo WCn

"Rising

air tending to expand, bitt

A more

a picture of such pools

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

mi

_J

Meaning
"

Modern

a
A
Sound.

Form.

^
^

Roof,

141

Enclos-

142

ure,
wei.

143

Shed,
yen,.

,..

144

145

146

Palace,
,
kuvg.

'

r
t

egg]
t;J'orm,

Probable

Older Forms.

A. D.

Remarks.

Original.

j(jO.

p^n

W D

r r

r
i^a

is^

kiuny.

Plate XI.

n n n

Window,

IV.

tl [^

f^

g r^

Park,

Now

written

[^

with pho-

Buihling open on one

side.

Hall with steps (or) throne.

mouths" under
"roof," as usually defined.)

(Not "two

window

"Field"

5<

only in

netic added.

Latticed
design.

Now

yu.

(Used

house.

combination.

full

of

with

altered,

varied

of

"trees."

yu

as

phonetic.

147

j^g

^'yPf
nuan.

Shuo

Prison,
yil.

" Picture of a

Shuo Wen: "

En-

Pri.son.

closure for criminals."

(Shows cells and corridor.)

Map,
149

W6n

pig in a pen."

Sign suggesting a
diagram.

seal.

map

or

(Embodies No. 338.)

Treasury,

150

store-

-J

house,

/t'u.

151

Kitchen,
cA

It.

Well,
152 cistern,
ching.

* Jm

ff

with

44

^ ^ w ^

1^

Bricls-

153

wall,
yiian.

1.54

^^^'
en uang.

li i? i^

iS3

a "shed."

"Dish" and other objects,

"hand" undera "shed."

"Cart" under

Well with

Layers of brick, with "clay"

i. added, to suggest the ma-

il

terial.

Shuo

:l

:r-i
Chinese Ideographs.

curb.

ir-^

Wfn

considers this a

contraction of }(;};., but

rather the original form.

it

is

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol,

Seal

Modern

Form,

Form.

^
^

A. D.
100

Meaning
and
Sound.

155

Dish,

m.

m.

Stemmed
156

dish,
tou.

vessel,

H.

Wine

fou.

^
Ia

'T

160

Dipper,

tou.

161

Vessel with viands or flowers.

Wine

secured
China).

ya.

168

Now used to designate " peck

measure." Of. No. 188. Originally a dipper.

Rude

;??

r^

/\

rS

Ne''
wamj.

Vxx)

-iX-

*. 'OA

)=/

^^?^>

tCap,

PI

tvng.

"wood" was added and

again discarded.

knife blade.

l>

/ii

Meshes of a net. Later

was added as phonetic.

fA\

^^^

Suggests a draped garment.

tt

=?

Jo

Side view, or head, of

Chinese Ideographs.

*Now

used for "slave girl" by a lewd metonomy.

fShuo W6n

"Small

cap.

x!3

fs\

Fl
z;^

^>"'

Used only in combination.

^ S

outline of a spoon.

^(?)

^""'

77

167

'Fork,

ffto.

166

with sealed lid

cords (as now in

B^)H\^^

lid,

165

jar

by

Shuo Wen
"Picture of a
willow cooking vessel."
(Distinguish from LJ k'an.)

n K K
I'o.

164

No. 156.

Cf.

Spoon,

^ooCover,

163

ancient dish was

T.

Actual form of the vessel as

exhumed specimen.

shaped thus

seen in an

Willow
159 basket,

XII.

Remarks.

A common

Hi
1 1

Probable
Original.

^ 21^

y>

2 1

jar,

158 pottery,

Plate

Older Forms.

Sacrificial

157

IV.

Headgear of the aborigines. "

Now

supplanted by

ittS

"raao," a later mechanical form.

nail.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol

tjonnfl
Sound.

Form.

'%

Plate XIII

IV,

Probable

Older Forms.

A. D.

Remarks.

Original.

jQQ_

Door,
169

gate,

men.

Ship,

170

boat,
cliou.

,j^

To

cook,

173

Alcohol,
chiu.

ii

^ i

Broom,
174

sweep,
chou.

jyc Kerchief,
kin.

i7~ Market,
shih.

stuffs,

to difluse,

pu.

:0S c::i.-^
(il fil

fl\

r-7

Si

)fl

1^

/M

i\

^^

ery,

fm

chill.

Small
table,
ki.

Recep182

tacle,

fang.

^-

outfit.

kind of amphora.

now an horary

This

sign.

alcohol

Jar containing

(clear liquor) signified by

r^

''water."

Hand grasping broom. Not

(

related to

t^

its

Anciently, a cap or turban

ivorn

by aged persons.

Supposed
'Jsed

to be a table cover.
only in combination.

Perhaps

WH

from

md '"wood";

ill

ilv

radical.

"curtain"

a booth, as

now

n Chinese markets.

i!)

Suggests interlaced threads.

Jriginally applied to silk.

Suggests plaited work.

Now

adverb "how," "now."

Ml*

Enibroid-

181

Cooking

n
^fi

ments.

is

T
i^l

Either a sliip with sail, or

deck of boat showing compart-

e^9

fti

(St.

180

+*

mat,

^El

^t

Reed
179

*i

bolts

turning posts as now in

China.

ttllt

'I'

Woven
178

't^

j-o'Curtain,

f1

@#

Wine jar,
yu.

H M N

^i

:H

ts'uan.

jy^

?^

Two-leaved door with

ind

L-

rR

^
^7

&=

Embroidered design.

3?

3 g
Chinese Ideogkaphs.

TT.n

Table with
curved legs.

An

straight

or

obscure form allied to

and I^I "coffer."

j^ "square"

'

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning
''"^,

bound.

Modern

Form,

Form,

'%

A. D.

100.

/t>

fan,

7\

18.5

^i?'*'-

''
rang.

VI7

ffl

Probable

Older Forms.

Y9^
r^

TT

t
ip^

Winnowing
bands,

is)

Bamboo

y-^

added.

S
i t#*
ffl

B i fi
^ ^ 1^$;?;
^

Portico,

186 pavilion,
t'imfi.

)i"l

187

Granary,
txUiiig.

188

r'int,

Corn189

fan,
pfin.

Um190

Window,
hu.

192

f F

"""'''

Cave,

Window,
eh'uang.

.-^

'7?

5l

51

m.

;%

fj^

^9

^?

(as

now

in China).

Large round wicker bins

under roof, (as now in China).

A measure

holding 12,000
Of. No. 160.
Old exhumed shcng Q->.
grains of millet.

an

Depicts

umbrella with

ribs or decorations.

Half of "door." (See No.

Variants have " wood
69 )
added.
'

fi

|3

Q ^<s>(ffl)
^ H
Chine.se Ideographs.

Form

of

Chinese fish-hook.

Incongruous

symbol for

piled earth.

edifice.

Artistic pavilion on pillars,

Tile,

196 pottery,

ShuoWfin: "Palace." An
imposing

ik^i

P
'/^

J?

(:hina.

Depicts the implement.

Closely allied to No. 183.

chue.

foil.

i?

in

has been

Land subdivided.

,no Mound,

195

f;

basket held in

as to-day
radical

ffl

^ ^

15

^^
+
? ?f

194

1 i

brella,

mn.

,ni

/O

Remarks.

Original.

fe*

ki.

184

Plate XIV.

/K/K

Corn183

IV.

Depicts mouth of cave.

Latticed
iiUy

w^^/^

same

window.

as No.

Origin-

14.').

Perhaps

tiles.

Shuo Won:

name

overlapped
"(leneral
for kiln-burned ware."

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

MeniimK

Seal

Modern

Form,

P'orm.

anil

Sound.

A.

r^

* Liito,

3^
7

k'iii.

jggt Organ,
hxuio.

Grain200 mortar,
kiu.

t3

i^

>='?

Knotted thongs. ShuoWen:

" Leather .straps."

ti^'t?f

Lute with b or

M
^ U
e a

>x

<3

)sr(

ku.

Writing
202

brush,
yu.

ground
wood and stone.

203To*rite,

cmn.

P:iper

204

tt

^
r

kite,

^/

,hTJ

At

first

later,

Obsolete

^T

symbol.

compartmentsof a

a hole
hollow

Depicts

(Ex-

kiln.

act origin is disputed.)

Chinese pen or brush held in

Cf. No. 174.

the hand.

making

Pen

It

yiinn.

Form of the
vessel with grain inside."

t^

Mouth-organ with 16 or 23

ShuoWSn: "

\g/lH/

7 strings.

pipes.

in the

Kiln,

201

Remarks.

Original.

100.

t
198

Probable

Older Forms.

I).

Tliongs,

197

Plate XV.

IV.

marks.

De-

rived from No. 202.

ShuoWcn: "Penmanship."

Bird-shaped kite peculiar to

China.

Axe,
adz,

20.5

kin

/f

'f

Pc

Cart,

206 chariot,

CD

ch'c.

^(^

(D

wood."

It

may

"To

chop

depict chips.

Cart with shaft for horses

as anciently in China.

-I-

Wen:

Shuo

f/frV

frJ'/J

tthreaal,

Span

of
horses,

207

^^#tt^

ride,
sheiiff,

ch'ing.

2Qgt Turban,

pien.

;ft

^ R ^^^4

knot,

210

"T"

chie.

ep

^'''''

yin.

Wf

" Chou dynasty

Shuo
n
crown, (Slled piVn."

1^^

i Seal,

209

Derived from 206.

M?^

Af

fTT

^ ^ ^ %

(f^.

^
^^

^x

<<',

5i\

Hand

(claw) affixing a seal.

Chinese Ideographs.
*

Form

of the lute.

t Originally the

The

form

" metal " as phonetic, which has been contracted to '^ kin.
the instrument, surviving in lower part of the modern symbol.
To this "hand" and

Lower
of

part was modified to

-^

which has "bamboo " and a phonetic " hsiao."

tThe ornaments below the turban .seem to have been altered to f''\ "bands."
Shuo Wt'n defines it as "Scaling knot," referring
I P Chie " knot " is closely allied to thi.s.
variant

cords.

is

"bamboo" were

added.

xj

suspect this depicts a seal of

tliat sort

rather tlian a signet of metal.

to the

ancient custom of n.sing clay seals and

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

.

Meaning
and
Sound.

Modern

Form.

-0

Seal

Form,
A. D.

kuny.

Arrow,

2J2

shih.

2^3 Halberd,
kuo.

Battle
axe,
wu, irwu.

2J5T0 guard,
SHU.

Remarks.

Original.

itn

il'i

Bow, with or without

til

\ rt

>i'iM

i-

1i

^t f

Feathered arrow.

string.

Shield,
kan.

Probable

Older Forms.

100.

216

Plate XVI

I?ow,

211

214

IV,

Ancient

t-

show hole

f
^

broDze-hallierd-

exhumed

heads,

in
for tassel.

China,

This symbol is now used as

an horary sign.

^^

Soldier (man)witL halberd.

+T?Tf

1^

(ieneral term for weapoas.

/I

.:^

tSpear,

217

lance,

21a Helmet,

\
)i

tou.

"Man"

met.

with head in helAlso means "pocket,"

"keep."

To draw
a bow,

219

lead,

?!

yin.

?i

til

Bow and man,

or hand and

bow.

n^

Three220

P''"g'^'l

balberd,
niao.

222 Military,

Warn,

222

ktai.

'A
ik <

4 u-^ M ^

kiun.

Soldier,

^4

223 JArmy,

2r4 weapons,

i)

Halberd or lance 15

/v

ping.

^^

Tj;

-$

"stop."

"To

lock hal-

berds

'^ ^Ta

is

Shuo

^^

^(^^t}i;;<^^
^
v^ tT ^ /i^ IW
/y

"Halberd" and
Shuo Wen:

a4

-2^

feet

long, used by charioteers.

wu."

WOn

"

Two hands

grasping halberd.

Warn."

Chariot in camp.

11
1^?^

"Man" with "spear" in

"liands," or "hands' gra.sping "axe."

Chinese Ideographs.
* In some connections this means "spear."
the symbol also depicts a two-pronged spear.
t

By analogy with No.

The

traditional shape of ancient shield is

213, this sh ijld depict a laiica without

hand guard.

It

the frame coinciding with -P.

suspect that

now means "arrow" and "shoot," and appears only

in

combination.
i

The

six last forms are two variants in groups of three fqrm^ e^ch,

The

first is

" people" in " camp."

Thj

.second

is

of obscure origin.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol, iv

^^"\"^

Moder,.

""",

Form.

Sound.

To

t
^
-a

Fo?m,

sha.

Target,

226 Marquis,
ftou.

227 Destroy,
fa.

jQO_

VH^4-f ^4^

I g H^^flil^iCt

^i A
ra

kmnff.

Troops,
229 traveller,

/If

;^ If

/^

t^

)^^'AA

^7

232

Camp,

x-x

ying.

* Shield,
tuM, ahun.

t?N

TP tF

111

1^

huang.

234

vi7

K'"g'
waug.

target, to

:fei

TV

"Man"
Same

class,

pan.

236

t Coraplete,
I'ing.

l#^

d /t\
tl ^1^
2C

"halberd."

"Men"

marching under a

" banner."

Depicts floating banner with

" axe "

of

(Significance
obscure.

beneatli.

"axe"

tents (?).

/si

ffl
Symbol

^^
3E.

<E.

^
i

of

protection

Sir,

scholar,

Chief,
great,

<^

From "self" and "king,"

'self ruler,"

"sole ruler."

Possibly a string
beads, still worn in
sign of authority.

objects.

f^i i)i i;|I i;|i

i}i

iA

f i
i

kii.

^?l

7^1

1 1 1

worn

of

jade

China as

Refers

(No.

237) and

obscure.

Perhaps

"Officer"

Origin

allied to

^a)

" Shield.

Likeness of that with which one protects the body and eyes."

t By some chance this has been classed by Chinese lexicography^? ijnder

jt.

The resemblance

"earth " instead of under

buttons

to

to distingjuish rank.

Origin
No. 239.

^ "great."
obscure.

Chinese Ideogkaphs.
*Shuo W6n

for

'eyes."

(?)

ii^S

shih.

238

and

root as No. 215.

"Knife" and two "jade"

i)

Officer,

237

was

"Camp" or "guard-house,"
suggesting frontier.

Rank,
235

hitting

"man"

added.

fe

IhhI

which

"Fire" and "camp," with

50

oQo Emperor,

Ivf

rA

iM

/-I

>^

and "inch."

at

1;^ (]>

t^i?

Flag,
k'i.

HM

230 banner,

"JIand" drawing a " bow "

gradually changed to "body"

Perhaps "arrow"

n [^

iii.

Semarks.

Original.

228 Frontier,

23J

Probable

Older Forms.

A. D.

slioot

225 arrows,

Plate XVII.

to a shield is not clear,

"officer."

Suggests

"9?

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

^^""j"?
and
Sound.

Modern
j~.

'^"-

* Prime
239 Minister,

Lord,

dm.

Father,

241

fu.

242

Retainer,
to con-

243

Ruler,
queen,
hou.

244 Master,
fu.

245

'^" r"ie.

ym.

Scribe,

24G history,
sliih.

t List,

247 record,
ch'ei.

248

5]

si'.

mn

Law,

catalogue,

/\.

City (as
an official
seat).

City ( as a

250

fortress),

ch'&ng.

i-k

100.

^B^^^\i
^

City,
king.

252

Court
de

Possibly depicts
insignia of office.

(?)

19,

/^

1^ f^

|^t4f^?^l^

"Hand"
"scepter."
or class.

/^

Seems to be from "bind'

and summon

f^

f5

liaps

^ i^t/^A^^

Wtl

iifl

or?

ro>o

tt^

4tttt

T -^m
O

*,^

4^

t^

ft

$4

^:

^ -^ :^
)H

"

"s:

"scep-

Hand"

holding a "sty(Ancient
See Fig. 1.
stylus had ring at end.

)^
V,OiK50

great."

lu-i."

qTiTp
^

"Great" and "man," or

"great" doubled, i. e., "very

" Iland " holding

Like No. 241.

4tW>

Per-

"summon."

ter."

tttt

7"^

a
^4

^
^

Bamboo "records" upon

"Uble."

"Enclosure" and "seal"

suggesting official residence.
CJ. No. 142 and No. 209.

Composed of Nos. 252, 212,

214.
No. 252 has been con"earth," i. e.,
tracted to
earth-filled wall.

City

now

gate

with

tower (as

in Cliina).

Gate-court with towers over

gates at either sides.

rfy
Chinepe iDEOGKArnS.

*The

Chinese notion that this depicts a corpulent man is unsatisfactory.

Shuo Wfn says that the slips were of unequal length. Royal degrees were thus filed.
t Bamboo slips tied with a thong.
tShuo WC-n "The records of Wu Ti [The Five Rulers B. C. 2597-22.55] were given an honored place upon a stand.
This is now app/ied to a temple over an arch just inside a city gate.
'

some

holding "rod" or
Master of iaraily

Reverse of No. 242.

?^

city gate,
kuo.
0.

Resembles No. 31 and No.

2.S8.

Supposed to be a burning
lamp, hence "lord" by metonomy. Suggests No. 234.

5l

Capi tal
251

Remarks.

Original.

f fl f Ai^
A
i p ^ t^^^^^t^^ ik

tien.

249

Probable

Older Forms.

A. D.

V3

trol,

Plate XVII I.

Seal
F"orm,

ch'en.

240

^
M

IV.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol,

Meaning
and
Sound.

253

^^

_!

Seal

^',"'^'"""

Form,

Form.

^
M

A. D.

,,

kuo.

huo.

<

i4

/^

255Pop"la''e,
shu.

Plate XIX.

Probable

Older Forms.

(P

'^

I*

(*)

ll 1^

chou.

Audience
257

hall,
t

'in'g.

>+i

Jil

Judge
258

of
A)ipeal,
ts'an.

259

\^
13

I>ecree,

fc3

chih.

EI
To inform
260 " 1"P^-

nor,

ch'eng.

na-,

263

Just
public,
kung.

Protect,
pao.

Tribe,

204

clan,

f /I
u

ii

ual,
fling.

>f

\\\

]^\

-^

^5

1*.

^^

home,
kia.

District
between
rivers.
(Streams were natural boundaries.

"Officer" (No. 237) on a

"seat."
Some forms liave

"seal"

addetl.

"East" and " speak, " i. e.

Decree from East Palace, the
seat of judgment.

"Above"
(

Not

i.

'.,

and

"speak."

imperial

decree.
related to its radical.

"Mouth" and

"officer,"

speecli before a superior.

4^ (^

-^o^

/Itr

%^

JOi ^a^

Til

J^

;oc
(<!

^^

Symbol of equal division.

" Cut " and an object.

Perhaps "man" rescuing

"child" from attack of beast
(claw).
Cf. No. 334.

In form this

No. 265.
vided."

of

(fJ

^K

protec-

"Together" and "fire"

under a "shed." Symbolic
of domestic life.

Divine or

2 f

yv ^6^

" Popu-

No. 254.

r/.

ure."
Symbolic of
tion over the people.

^A^

t Family,

266

'M

\i^^m^\^
11
o
f ^^ ^i e B
(o\

"populace" and

"Halberd" and "enclos-

^\

j^H

or,

"king." Later, "populace,"

of

^fi

^A

f>k

1^,

Perpet-

265

lace,"

* Scepter,
knei.

262

(^

Oldest forms are

o)

/I /I
\^^

0^

"enclosed,"

Political
2.56 district,

Remarks.

Original.

100.

Nation,

IV.

IJl

>J^

III

(^^(l\it\fk

i-H

tt

is

the reverse

"Streams

di-

Water flowing from a pool

or spring, hence "constant,"
"perpetual."

Origin obscure.

Chinese Ideographs.
'**This may be the carved lines upon a jade scepter. Such an ancient scepter was seen by the author. It was a foot long and two inches
wide of the shape pictured above, and engraved all over witli conventional lines.
tThis may come from different roots. Since the Ilan Dynasty (circa B. C. 100) it has taken the sole form of "pig" under "roof."
Earlier forms show various objects under roof.
The most reasonable is " three persons under roof"
which I liave taken
a very early form

as the probable original.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning
"
,

and
"""
Sound.

Look,
267

see,

kien.

2(.o

A. D.

fd

100.

hing.

it

To return,
hui.

15]

Pendant,
ch 'ui.

Eminent,
yao.

274

f'^'

ISO.

fxtr

4
JL

&

i^

aK
ix

^^

ij^

l|^

/^.

note.
yin.

13

Blend,

278

unite,
kiao.

Mark,
279

sign,
teen.

280

To

cut,

pa.

k.

'

h-l

/V

/v

I
'S

^
?\

Hands
(

raised as in terror.
in combination.

Used only

V^

A pendant

>X/

JL JC

flower,

e.

g.,

wis-

taria.

"Earth," piled up, hence

"high." Later, sign for
"platform" wasadded.

Two men seated upon tlie

a common posture

ground"

in China.

of

value)

(A good

ideograph.

J.

^tt^ti^1^(h t
^ti^pfti^^ ^
)(

(see No. 33).

(A
points to his nose to
indicate self

"shell" (objects
under a "roof."

^ ^
V U .^?X^

f
V/

"Nose'
Chinaman

"

* Sound,

277

28.

"to return."

*Speech

*3

Reversed body, hence to

" turn back," obsolete, cf. No.

Shuo Wen: "To revolve."

E^robably a whirlpool, hence

tt^l^i

/-S

i^

*^U4it

^ f

pao.

yen.

Light issuing from the eye.

(In accord with peculiar notion among the Chinese.

i
^

^^

r^'

7^

Kemarks.

Original.

n
a o

Value,
275 precious,

2/6

Probable

Older Forms.

7lL

Self,

Fear,

273

-w
i<orm,

270 excited,

271,

"
a

Form.

Plate XX.

Reverse,

269

271

j
r
Modern

IV.

Symbolizes words
issuing
from the mouth, hence speech.

Probably No. 276i "speech" )

"one" added to denote
"single
utterance"
hence
"note."
with

Blended or united lines.

Symbolic of union. Of. Nos.
279 and 338.

Blended lines as in writing.

Probably of same origin as
No. 278.

CoinSignifies bisection.
cides with sign for "eight,"
which may have separate root.

Chinese Ideographs.
*

Though the modern forms differ widely, the old forms prove them to be closely related. Shuo AVtm
considers No. 277 as derived from No. 276 by adding the sign for "one."
This should signify a simple utterance instead of a successwn of st)unds
as in speech.
Shuo W6n's further exposition of the relation of thought in the heart to utterance is only confusing, for it must be based upon
the doubtful assumption that No. 277 once had the sign for " heart" underneath.
very interesting pair of symbols.

i,

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Seal

Meaning

Modern

Form,

and

Form.

A. D.

p5

JOO.

Sound.

To
281

divide,
Jen.

/^
^i-

Plate XXI.

IV.

^M

equal,
pi.

Level

283

even,
4 'tew.

J:t >t

fl(\

VJU

J]

f ?i

Coord
284

nate,

piny.

^,'"''"'

285

hsiao.

Large,

286

great,
ta.

Up,
287

above,
shang.

^J^

Down,
288

below,

hsia.

289

Middle,
chuny.

'1^

)[

J^i

i^\

It li

TI

t^

??

YY

AA

uu

-I r-

7A71

fT

'^

::i^

piece,

ko

292

Twist,
twine,

1-

fr

r^

Hc

Form,
individuality,
kiai.

294 Together,
kuny.

shields on a level.

ffn

;!:

i i

4*

[j]

"F

t^

;^

5)

7 T

Stick cut (No. 280) in two,

hence "short" "small."

"man"

on

shoulders, or
taller than the average.

man

Cf*

fl'

Object above a line.

Object betow a

line.

Object or point

tween

"up"

W6n

midway

be-

and "down."

"Up

and down

equal," as if the halves diverged from a central point.

fl

/I)

Possibly "a single bamboo

leaf" {cf. No. 117) now ex-

-(^

)?.

)1^

panded

to

ijj

and

/lij

with

i)honetic.

4f /v

Cf.

Two " men " on "level "

(No. 283). On even footing.

"man's"

J-l

kiu.

293

Two

Shuo
/

One
291

Two men of eqmd height.

Lines were added to strengthen
the idea.

Probably

M;

104)

and "cut" (No. 280).

No. 284.

t Perpen290 dicular,
kun.

Remarks.

Original.

From "knife" (No.

Like,

282

Probable

Older Forms.

ft

t ^

StK^^^r'^A K

Either "hands" twisting a

" rope," or twining vine with
"leaves."

"Man"

and "cut" (No.

Suggesting
280).
personality.

Four hands

distinctive

united.

Chinese Ideographs.
*The

usual explanation of this symbol

an object cut in the middle. This fails to account for the more complex old forms. The most ancient coins have these complex forms, which is strange, in view of the habit of contracting symbols on coins, unless the extra strokes were deemed
essential to the meaning.
Such I believe was the case, and the idea of a point between " up" and " down " will explain all the extant forms_
is

t Tlie original was likely a solid line representing a

accords with the basic idea of No. 289, suggested above.

staff

or other vertical object.

Shuo Wfin's

definition is inappropriate, but incidentally

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol

^^"'"S
"''

Sound.

'^^^

296

Hang.

*^""''^'
iiang.

t Thirty,
Q7 genera-

^^'

tion,
shih.

Modern

Seal

Form,
-

Form.

Plate XXII.

IV.

ffl

\^ A

ttt

f^hm cand^Aiiifl 1^
Fffl

FFl

tute,

tion,
tai.

299

Peace,
ngan,
'an.

300

Fear,

i^^:^ t^

xt^l

ii(

^^h ^m

(?1

]\^

determi-

HI

ttt

chill.

il'i

this, so,

304

305

Noon,

^f

^f

Half,

pan

<k

\i}

High,

kao

1-57

re]

ii.

trli

)^i

'i

"spear, " rechange of watgh.

(Of. No8. 21.5, 227.)

in a house.
condition of

peace in Cbina.

(hill),

standing upon a height

inspires fear. (So

Shuo WCn.

shih.

303

to

One woman
(An essential

>1

Now,
302

one ounce.

Man " and

ferring

'^1^

V *i

nation,

e.,

i.

Triple sign for ten, i. e.,

A generation is thirty
years by Chinese reckoning.

Man

linng,

thirty.

"

ri^

rooms, or two men in

(obscure origin.

/^

i\ A ^^

Purpo.se,

301

Two

a liouse.

One

1^

t Substi-

298 genera-

Bemarks.

Original.

100.

\^

Probable

Older Form.

A. D.

ik

11/

"Issue" (No. 107) and

"heart" (No. 41). ShuoW^n:
"That which issues from the
heart."

"Sun" or "day" and "exact" (No. Ill), hence "now."

(So also Shuo W^n)

CE.

Vf
f^

^-

/tiHTifi

/t\

ii

fti

Probably a vertical line

roof-gable toward
zenith, hence "noon."

(?)

"Cut" (No. 280) and an

obscure sign of varied form.

through

^vc.

y^

Tower over

city gate.

No. 251,

2.52.

"Two men"

and

lied to

Al-

lol
Condole
oQg

witli

bereaved,
iiao.

307

308

I,

me,

Bawl,
Wit.

<?

t ^X^l^^f^
1
t ^^ ^

^
a

"bow."

ancient custom of
guarding the dead against wild

Refers

1.

to

beasts.

"Hand"

^i^l'

;^'

and

"halberd"

(No. 213), vaguely suggesting

man's egoism.

"Large" (No. 2.S6) and

" mouth." Mouth wide open
as in shouting or bawling.

Chinese Ideogkaphs.

*When the sign "Hang" (No. 295) was adopted for "ounce" (No. 296), from similarity of sound, the numeral "one" was added to
avoid confusion with the original sense of "Iiang" (No. 295).
Later the new form supplemente<l the old, and now is used for l)oth "ounce'
and "two."
t These synonyms

for

"generation"

implies succession, being originally

differ in their original

meanings.

"change of watch," hence " sul)stitute,"

<

No. 297 emphasizes the rfumd'on of a generation," while No. 298

"instead," <[ "succession," <[ "generation."

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

,,

Meaning
e"^"".
Sound.

bent,
k'ii.

310

311

Form.

^
^

A. D.

314

Probable

Older Forms.

Remarks.

Original.

joo_

W ^ ^

A bent or knotty piece of

vood.

"Child" (No. 26) inAbnormal child,

verted.

hence " unfilial."

Shuo

walk,

as
man's
steps."

To

run,

4_

-fit

Follow,
ts'ung.

Follow,
ts'uiuj.

/^ A

?i

1^^

on,
yin.

To

go,

4-

it

walk,
t80U.

To
317

^
^i;

Man

behind man.

^a

ilil

Shuo W6n

Qjq

01

It

7^

step.

^
'ih

stand.

>

V
Two

321 abreast,
ping.

5Zx

Origin,

322 source,
yiian.

walking.

keep go-

rt)

'X Sj

yl

r^

fi^

t#

it^

w^

^^AiA
M ^MDMii
r fe /i

;^

''/?.

fjii

Chinese Ideographs.

iif

(If

i:

motion of

one walking.

(No.

110)

The

and
lat-

has been contracted to an

incongruous sign.
ter

"Man" "running" (No.

312) with a torch in hand,
/. e., torch
bearer (as escorting a bride).
Probably "man" standing
on the ground.

Two men

t-^

/I

in

walking.
Descriptive form
of the pictorial sign No. 315.

"foot" (No. 37).

jh

To escort,

To

man

"To

"Bend "and "stop"a.s

>.^

sung.

320

Foot-prints or

It

Variant

ing."

"Stop"
njo

man" and

beliind

Art

ptep,
go,

lisiiig.

three

of No. 313.

5.
?.

steps,

'running" (No. 312).

Outline of

i.

"Short

leaps in running.

"Man

successive

"Steps" (No. 311) and

"stop" (No. 110) suggesting

To move
315

316

W^n

Steps,

cjio.

313

\t

^^"?'''"^'

chHh.

312

Seal
p^^^,^

j^j^^^

Curved,
309

Plate XXI 1

IV.

a
'

'

side

by

side.

"Spring" (No. 87) under

"cliff" (No. 95), hence,
source."

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Meaning
and
Sound.

^^^^^^

^^^^

Form.

A. D.

100.

IV.

Plate XXIV.
Probable

Older Forms.

Remarks.

Original.

"Dish" (No.
Plenty,

323

rich,

2 1

fetifj.

* Large,

324

lofty,
t'ai.

M.
^v

325
t'ai.

MMi^^

1.

viandsr '.
124) and

f\

e.,

156) full of

"grain" (No.

"herbs," offered
with "hands." (Likecornucopia).

rtil\rlift^l^f^

i ik

c
v.

f^^

1^

Also

f^.

Enunciate

326

word,
sentence,

kit.

327

Enclose,
wrap,
poo.

g28 To wrap
up, ]X10.

329

yao.

Very
small,
fine, yu.

han.

333 t Dwell,
ku.

Protect,
.''^'^I'.'

deposit,
ts'un.

Sheperd335

ess,

kiang.

^
#

iQ^n'n^^H

connect,
kuan.

'

(No.

292)

and

referring to motion

of lips in speaking.

Fcvtus
wrapped in the
womb, with "child" added

-4j

as suggestive sign.

Cf.

No.

329.)

Depicts half-formed foetus

Originally same

before birth.
as Ci

i-

Seven months' foetus.

veloped from No. 329.

De-

No. 330 intensified by du-

66

(S

/?

A
$1iiaS ^f^

jg

-;

3^

Wen:

Shuo

"Tongue."

Possibly tongue in the mouth.

Cf.

No. 56.

standing in a house.

Hand
263.

^
f

n.

plication.

Man

nm^

t^^

-&-

'*^'""'S'

5,

'

Sign suggesting a wrapper.

I ^
^ ?

tTo
336

(9

n
u

letter,

^A

CO
^^$ ^

Enfold,

332

334

'i

^ ^ %

'V

Embryo,

Tender,
330 young,

331

'1

"Twist"
" moutli

over child.

Cf.

No.

Shuo wen: "Anxiety."

"Sheep" and "woman.'

" Sheep-woman."

^1^ di^
String of shells.

8^

5<;?

;^

Chinese Ideoguaph,s.
* For
t
i

The
The

full

explanation see page 14.

evolution of the modern form

may

be thus

ancient custom of stringing shells as

($<

^</5<

money may accpunt

This theory is strengthened by the survival of a variant fi.

fi < fi < S.
fqf the tnv4iU4i!!il 'mlfit "f stringing coins in China.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol. IV

Meaning
and
Sound
oouna.

Modern

"

Form.

.H

1
^

Plate XXV.

^^"^
Form,

Probable

Older Forms.

A. D.
jQ^j

Longevity,
337
age,

Blend,
yao.

Singe,

/Tv

339 scorch,
chiao.

343

kan.

/t

yunfl.

1 li *j

JH

Ifl

IP

Strange,

345 unlike,

^ ii^l^
K
(5)

;ft

(^

(i){i)(iii2r

fflmi:^^)iijiiiii(t]

ch'uan.

t!^

q. v.

or more birds over

fire.

fire.

Hands opposed, or struggling for a staii'or spear.

Wen:

"Split wood.

half of tree."

flf^

n f^

Possibly palatable (sweet)

food retained in the mouth.

Origin

(?)

f#f 4

xTx

ki.

^ij:

Eelated to

lines.

>H

Lift,

raise,

Opposed,
347 perverse,

"Enduring,

Also tortoise over

From

A,^
346

One

? f fH^^tS^I

Bitter,
hsin.

344 To use,

^
^^

p'ien.

Sweet,

Blended

Nos. 278, 279,

Shuo

341 fSplinter,

342

X
X

338 diagram,

Cheng.

Wen:

Shuo

following."

shoii.

340 W^1"K^^

Ke marks.

Ori<irinal.

obscure.

Refers to

melancholy of autumn.

Significance obscure.

Ghost

or
other
strange
Allied to No. 354.

figure.

Hands

lifting a weight.

Supposed by Chinese to be
two men lying back to back (a

:f^

guess).

spread.

Spread
Q<o out, sort
out,
jne7i.

Together,
349 market,
chi.

350

^ ^ ;fv 1 ^^
^ 11 A T/a

-^-

'^^y"'"''

+f

1^

^r^
(

af
% I^^Y
-^jTi

Depicts

beast's

claw

Three birds on a tree.

contracted.

out-

(Now

Some prolific creature like

the frog or scorpion.
(Not
related to its radical.

Chinese Ideographs.
* A very complex symbol of many forms.

It .seems to be composed of
k'ou, mouth.
lao "old," :^<iyung "perpetual" and
two first is apparent, but that of "mouth " is obscure.
t Mechanically derived from the sign for " tree" (No. 97),
J^qt tl^e reverse of " bed" (No.. 154), as often hastily inferred.

significance of the

The

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

"
J
and
Sound.

Diety,
gods,

351

shell.

Modem

"

Form.

Tn

Plate XXVI.

IV.

Form,
A.

Probable

Older Forms.

100.

feH

^t''F^9f|)l^'i.^ll5

1^

ning

(?),

of No. 351,

^t

ro tl^

^\^k\ki^%%\%f>^k

(See note under No. 92.)

Symbols found with or without sign for "heavenly influ-

(0

j^ence" (No. 353) as radical.

Used both a noun (deity)
and adjective (divine, spirit-

Light3.52 (original

Remarks.

Original.

I).

(?)

ual).

?. "

* Heavenly influ-

353

ence,
edict,

/J\

;n

JK

1>

,sV.

Ancestral

355 temple,

tsung.

jmi

7A

Tx
nifi

Form

^'

1^

li^

Sacrifice,
tsu.

/!(

K%%t

354 I^f"'""'

356 ancestor,

///

/t^

Jiifi^i

man

of

"myiitery"

with sign for

affixed.

c5.

"E<iifire" with "heavenly

influence" within.

t^iti^A A

Symbol of sacrifice (grave,

piled cakes, or vessel) to which

<^

ously treats his father and

mother. From 'old' and 'son,'
The son supports the aged."

"heavenly

influence"

^l>

Thank
'^*'.""'

358

pervade,

-6-

Mng.

enjoy,
hsiang.

To
359

360

361

^T""'
cliao.

1^

To divine,

pu.

To enquire by
362 divination,

yi.

s$ ttt^t

tt^ttt s

j/^l'

,>\v

fii

v5

15

Shuo
this

W6n

(Variant

rightly considers
as No. 35S.

same

the

Supposed

'1(0

')l'l-

still

to

used.)

be lines on tor-

toise-shell, used in divination.

Perhaps related to No. 360.

4^

yu.

i'

14

fi

361).
Sometimes enclosed in sign of obscure mean-

(No.

Sacrificial

363 tankard,

ting.

Originally same as No. 359.

"Mouth" and "to divine"

chan.

t Incense364 tripod,

Covered jar used in thank

t*

pi-

offerings.

^p

was

added.

Shuo Wen: "One who

^'!'*''
nsiao.

367

No.

3!5.

(i)

W^

IIWW

ing.

Depicts tankard, with No.

[3=

361 added.

Shell (No. 132) with legs.

Chinese Ideographs.
*Shuo W6n: "That which comes from Heaven
Pertains to astrological scrutiny into divine affairs."

The

as revealing fortune or misfortune to

The

horizontal lines

may be

men.

the sign for

From .n and ||', sim, moon and

"above" (No. 287), or a special

stars descending.

sign for

Heaven.

vertical lines depict the descending influences.

Common

form of the tripod

is

^^, which may be from

the original use of a

homed

shell for holding incense, as for instance

^^.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

!
1

Si""'',
fecund.

"^

^^

Modem

Form,

Form.

^-

A.

cial bowl,
i.

^
U

superior,
k'ien,

ft

kan.

^
Shuo Wfin

k'un.

Tutelary-

308

deity,

To

it

^1^

tMuiMrf?

;Tx

li

li

rT
At.^

D-

Tripod

<="P'

rank,
chiie.

Large
urn,
li,

-ni^

||<

fl
ft

*/

honor-

measure,
hi.

"Earth" and "God" (No.

351) contracted, i. e., "earthdeity." Opposite of No. 366.

and

\3

C7

To
375

5^7

>'i;^

.y^v

1 >W

Weird

Active

PI I

Passive

377 or female
principle,
yin.

Supreme
378

Ruler,
ti.

-1.

PI

"Mystic

sign for a ghost.

"Hands"

offering "sacri-

jar" before a "mound"

grave).
( Last has been discarded, and "hands" changed
to sign for "inch.")
cial

|S ^^ 5

If^

Descriptive

and

pictorial

^^fisaxt^

Depicts large tripod with

handles, used in temples.

the handles, altered to

(?)

signs relating to use of the

libation cup "chiie."

The two

sacri-

Tx

W6n:

V3

fice,

or male
principle,
yang.

as!^

v?7

chi.

o/,

Wen

Shuo

).

\?7

last),
li.

earth

changes in nature as detected

by the use of May-weed."

(Variant,

374 of

influence"

"Earth-lord."

Shuo

1^

Venerate,

373

i))^

;In

^P'"'-

tsun.

influence.

(No. 353) over nature (trees

AH

ch ang.

able,

Mystic symbol composed of

elements pertaining to heaven,
sun, air, or fire, and meteoric

,f /K

shih.

S72
"^^^

'^

worship.

"Heavenly

craft,

371

m
f

^ ^

f,

IT

di-

vine by
369 witch-

370

calls this a ves-

sel for ancestral

Earthly,

367 inferior,

Remarks.

Original.

Celestial,

3GC

Probable

Older Forms.

jQo.

*Sacrifi-

365

Plate XXVIl.

IV.

JR

^>^^

"bow"

(No. 211).

^1

I^

^;.Ti

1 1| ti

il^ftl^f^l f

#
m 1"^^^%^^^
r-C

signs at sides are

^i ^t ^t pi

"Hand,"
"jar"
is

now

"flesh"

and

Last
a " temple."
discarded and "jar"
in

altered.

ShuoWCn: "High,

light.

Superior forces of nature."

Precise significance of this

No. 376 is not clear.
They refer to geomantic condition, hill, sun, cloud, etc.

and

-Ny^

Shuo W6n: "To judge.

Title of the universal ruler."
( Used of emperor and deity.

Chinese Ideographs.
*Thig complex and apparently incongruous symbol is one of the most ancient in the language. It is descriptive rather than pictorial, being
composed of four elementary signs suggestive of sacrifice, to wit Suine's heud (No. 18), slielkJ-ffrain (No. 124), silk\jio. 134) and "hands,"
the last .significant of " offering" and characteristic of many old symbols relating to sacrifice. Some of the forms are in ancient script which
:

obscures the signs depicted.

fThis complex sign

divination.

is

The form

of the vessel

is

^^

as seen in recovered specimens.

supposed to suggest the gestures and cries of a witch.

May-weed,

in

bundles of 64

stalks, is still used

by Chinese in

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol. IV

^Zl"^

Modern

FoTm,

Form.

-^

A. D.

pq

100.

Sound.

^^

Ob379

structed

growth,

*Nnt

380

^^

Refuse,

381

not,

V3

/on.

Have
382

not,

mu.

No,

384

mi^MU

(('5^

'7

4)

^ft

J^

suggests negation.

No. 380 intensified by add"mouth."

W6n-li or
literary form of No. 380.

I?)

t
^

Tree with top cut off. Obform related to No. 380.

solete

Derived from No. 379, which

M^

))'@

Eemarks.

Original.

^ *t

Do not,

ogq t

Probable

Older Forms

}{^

^
a
^

'

pu.

Plate XXVI II

ing

"The end" < "none" <

"no more" < "have not."
Also means "drown."

Shuo

V^ ^

f^

from

Derived
(No. 24).

W^n

considers this to

be an ancient flag with three

pennants used for signalling

"no."
tied with cords.

Something
Unyield385 ing not.

not,

^^

*P

fei.

ggy Not

yet,

i s %

Without
388 do

-!?

not,

7no.

389

From

^^

None,

Ji.j

*A=li

-RJ^-

"Unyielding.

thongs

'

[No. 197] con-

to

back, hence "opposed."

Shuo W6n:

"Tree

ceaf and branch."

lance not clear.

"Sun"

in full
Signifi-

obscured

by

< shady < dark <

invisible < without.
"leaves"

V"V

minus.

'

Things (bows?) back

t^P^n^t *
r^

W6n

tracted."

:5

Opposed,
386

Shuo

##* f
f ^ii^^^^p^

"woman"

fi^

vlv

ShuoWfin: "Lost."

Chinese Ideographs.
*The

Chinese, following

far-fetched,

now

and

in fact

Shuo W6n, consider

No. 380

is

this to be inverted

chth,

not the inversion of the character for "at."

This is
an ancient sign

"at," which they interpret as a bird flying to earth.

I prefer to

consider

it

as derived from No. 379,

discarded.

Shuo

W6n

"Stop.

Figure of woman with line across it as if prohibiting illicit conduct."

Chinese scholars have made many conjectures, but none satisfactory.

I venture an additional guess, to wit, that

No. 207 for the key. The upper part of this (No. 389) exactly corresponds to the chariot-shaft and yokes of No. 207. May it
not be a span of horses separated from the cart? Hence "lacking" "without." To this the signs "lost" and "trees" have been added.

very obscure symbol.

we must look

to

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol. IV

Meaning
and
Sound.

390

392

393

394

Seal

Modern

Form,

Form.

T3

A. D.

100.

Three,

Four,

397 *^'S''^'
pa.

398

Nine,
kiu.

399

^^'
shih.

400 Twenty,

401

Thirty,
shin, so.

402

Hundred,
many,
pei.

Thous403

and,
ch^ien.

//

///

\^

\B

a <^ GD'R^

22

/v

-t

Probable

._

X SXX

^4

t=

^(J

X z

lines,

Five

mil

,2

/fV

-^

tU

if

+ tt

ft- tf ft

tft

t^

sb

^
?

i"^!^

R-?t^^^1- ^.

<1

If

or two weapons.

lines.

Four lines, gradually connected in cursory style.

nil

iL L 1?

?\

Two

or one weapon.

^ ^ t ^ >^>t^i
)(

line,

Three
III

X
\^ A \^^v

/\ /v

One

11

^/O A ^J.T

i^

Remarks.

Original.

^ ^

Five,

*^,T''
en I.

Six

396

J=.

Plate XXIX.
Older Forms.

One,

Two,

391

P"?

i!!^'

=i=

p^

Bv

lines, variously indi-

cated.

Probably six lines united.

Probably seven lines

united.

Eight

lines united.

Probably nine lines united.

Two

1
'

m^t^

five

contracted
united.

signs for

Two

tens.

Three

tens.

llf
Kesenibles

signs

"head" and "nose."

for
Sig-

nificance disputed.

Possibly "hundred-tens"
(origin obscure).

Chinese Ideogkaphs.
*The
five.

The

The

respective signs
vertical line

is

Xi=

belong to a distinct system of numerals

a contraction of

"five"

to

still used for commercial purposes, which combines figures above

which "one," " two" and "three" are added to indicate "six," " seven" and "eight."

regular system combines after "ten."

tThis sign

is

undoubtedly two

fives contracted.

Originally

or

some

like form, as in the

Roman numeral

X which

is

a duplicated \/.

chalfant: early chinese writing

17

Values of Latin Letters in the System of Romanized Chinese Used in This

Treatise, Being That Known as Wade's System with Slight Modifications.
before

a,

ng or

"a"

final, like

in "ball."

vowel tending toward Italian "a."

an, as in "pan," the

as long "i" in "like."

ai,

"ow"

ao, as

"cow."

in

an obscure sound resembling

e,

en, as in "then,"

ii.

tending toward "an."

short "e" (not used by Wade),

6,

long "a"

ei,

as e

i,

ih, as

when

(a)

resolving into

final,

or

like

"e" in "able."

"ya" with broad sound

as

ia,

followed by

"n"

or "ng,"

(Note used by Wade.)

of "a."

"yow."

iao, as

semi-diphthong with the "e" slightly audible like

ie,

i.

an obscure vowel

i,

when

e.

iu, like

"ew"

e-e.

in "few."

o followed by slight breathing like "o-eh."

o,

ou, o resolving into n.

like

6,

u, like
ii,

German
"oo"

6.

(Not used by Wade.)

in "fool," or like the

word "woo."

approximate French sound of "u."

un, like " wen."

ua,

"

"wa"

uai,

"

"

ui,

"

the word " we."

uo,

"

"woa"

uei,

"

"

yu,

"

the word "you."

ch,

"

English "j" or

ch',

"

hsi,

"

"

j,

"

French

p,
p',
t,

t',

wi"

in "water."
in "wise."

in the exclamation

"whoa"

(hwoa).

way."

"

soft

"g."

"ch."

hyee" or "see" (two

"j " with trace of " r."

nearly like "b."

hke "p."
nearly like "d."
like "t."

classes of

sounds not distinguished by Wade),

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

18

NOTES UPON THE "SHUO WEN."

II.

As already

work was published about 120 A. D., and has been

scholars, preserving, however, what purports to be the

stated, this great

repeatedly reedited by later

This dictionary, being etymological in aim, gives the author's opinion

original text.

meaning of a word,

as to the' primitive

often with a surmise as to

In

occasionally a suggestion as to pronunciation.

some ten thousand symbols based upon

By reference
ties will

In the

be noticed.

logical plan,

manifested

appended

to the

and are

itself,

list

first

its

derivation,

and

present form this lexicon defines

hundred and

five

its

forty

"classifiers."

of these so-called "classifiers," several peculiari-

place they seem to have been selected

upon no

This latter fault in the system soon

entirely too numerous.

subsequent lexicographers successively reduced the number until

for

the reign of Kanghsi,

when

the greatest of all (Jhinese dictionaries appeared under

the royal patronage, and classified some 45,000 symliols under 214 determinatives

Of

(which are usually called "Radicals").

these,

206 were retained out of the

original 540, and eight others were added,, viz., 8th (o-), 56th (-^), 69th

88th iX), 90th (^), 138th (pO, 186th (^).

Secondly they fail to include as classifiers certain ancient symbols as

;!(,

which found early use

^,

(/j),

Jj,

71st

^, and

These four have since been recognized

in composition.

The same cannot

as sufficiently important to be used as radicals.

be claimed for

new radicals, for the small groups under each could easily have been
among the already recognized classes, e. g., .x, under /^ or i-^n where

the other five

distributed

most of its

class naturally

The "Shuo Wen

'h

4a $>

belong

indicators, as

inversions, as

^^ 7^, phonetic

composites, as

^f 5'

-^

under

-^

" recognizes six classes or

pictographs, as

a /S-'

"tree,"

y^ under )\, or

)l,.

kinds of symbols, defined as follows

"sun."

"earth piled up," " high."

|ft

"sacrificial vase."

and ^,

signs, as

^^

" son "

" flower "

and
('f.^

" unfilial."

being merely phonetic).

{^) "fattier" ("hand" holding "rod").

i?ij% substitutes (metaphors), as
While representative symbols may sometimes apply to more than one class, yet
the conception
the Shuo
is

W6n

is

on the whole quite happy.

do not always appeal

probably the truth, that

now

lost,

"The number

definitions

to the student as reasonable,

many of them

are

and derivations
and

suggest,

in

what

mere guesses on the part of the author.

however, that the author had access to data and sources of informa-

It is possible,

tion

The

and therefore may be right

of these

in

some

cases

where

his opinion

"pl^s^Kjerg" ranges from 534 to 544, according to the method of computation.

would

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo W(^n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

Meaning

y^

^
^

One,

1st Radical.
See No. 390.

air,

^^ ^^

^^',^"'

^
^^

s
^
l[

^gg

igg

jj^

See No. 396.

rp^^

Ten-feet,

Three,

gge

^^

fi

392.

saw.

The

Bemarks.

and
Sound.

^^^^'

2d Radical.

T'l'ist.

See No. 292.

lu.

Jungle,
kuii.

Old synonym
No. 112.

of

Grasp,
ki.

Luxuriant,

eho.

Lamp-flame,

,.

3d Radical.

(]ot,

ehu.

See No. 287.

'!^i^J'''

Concealed,

mien.

fi

Tn

Horary

s.

f"
sign,

1-3 A. M.,
ch'ou.

^^'

ii

See No.

94.

South the source

of fire,
ping.

A
Fl

sacrifice,

tsu, ch'ie.

numbers in

Original form"of
No. 356, but
now a conjunction

ch'ie.

Foundations,
ki.

this series (PI.

Cinnabar,
tan.

Pellet, pill,

wan.

Bending
See No. 380.

pu.

XXX XLIX

to the
right,

-t

But, rather,
nai.

Following,
enduring,
kiu.

To

issue, of,

,r

inc.) refer to the

See No. 108.

chih.

To heap

4th Radical.

p'ie.

Chinese Ideographs.
[Note.

Meaning

Modern
Form.

,^^^j

cAanji.

^'"'

Js

Classifier.

-fc

Bemarks.

Nail, sting?

Shuo W6n,

and
Sound.

Undulating

Plate XXX.

IV.

up,

tut.

Belated

to

No.

193.

Bowing,

numbers of the ideographs in Plates I-XXIX.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shiio

WOn,

Classifier.

Modern

Meaning

p
#,

Rema rks.

and
Sound.

Form.

Bending

Plate XXXI.

IV.

to the

fu.

1
hand,

'

turn back,

Form.

Meaning
Remarks.

and
Sound.

Hunch-back,
"K'y,
H'O.

8tli

x\(-i-),

See under

48tli

d i- i
Riiuical.

Radical
a Shuo

Neck, strong.

see

also No. 67.

To

Modern

Cla&sifier.

left,

T r,
Ijeit

Shuo Wen,

ft

laing.

n.

S";

not

Wfn

clas.sifier.

Horary

See No. 2G8.

is

sign,

9-11 A. M.,
hai.

Diverging

ru.

stream,

See No. 264.

p'ai.

Crooked,

Blend,
kiao.

Armpits,

5th Radical.

i.

include, also.

Sacrificial jar,

f?

h.

^
U

^i"'

km.

See No. 278.

See No. 398.

enjoy blessings,

ggg

j^

ggg

h^ng, hsiang.

Bird of

i
?

unknown

sort,

^"^'kilg^''^'

ya.

Granary,

Secluded,
yin.

Hook,
A: tie.

6tli

Radical.

See No. 192.

I,

me,

yii.

Two,

-=-

Er.

lin.

\i7

7tli

Radical.

^
/.v

AA

See No. 391.

Man

(generic),

jen, yin.

To

See No.

2.51.

Synonym

of

9th

Radical.

See No. 22.

a-ssemble,
chi.

To

follow,

ta'ung.

See No. 314.

flfl
Stratum of

T
?

cloud, at,

iH

yii.

Mist, cloud,

cy.

No. 90.

yitn.

/Tl

-TK

l'''"^'
cnung.

Come,
Ud.

Dawn,

'^y.*'"'

if

See No.

1.52.

clung.

Chinese Ideographs.

fA

k<m.

No.

187.

See No. 70.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shiio

W6n,

Classifier.

Modern
Form.

Meaning
and
Sound.

i\

;l

variant

No. 106.

<^,'?"'''y'

See No. 187.

10th
./""".'

of

??

Able, conquer.

0:5

Ehinoceros,
hgi_

Hare,

jt

''"

Hairpin, clasp.

ft

X A
\t

TO

yv
iS

jtt,

yu.

Hidden,

,See ^^
No. 17.

Rde

f\

nthRadical.

~~

\=7

.^

r^

Fl
I

See No. 295.

12th

hsi.

See No. 395.

Badical

See No. 397.

:^

VJc

A.

Chinese Ideogbaphs,

kiuntj.

See No. 294.

^^t^

Radical.
.

Variant of No.
228.

List, record,
'(g<^

'

Delicate, fine.

Jan.

._

See No. 247.

Possibly related
to

No.

35.

1^^

Said to depict the

small rafters ot
a roof.

Cap,

Variant of

Millions,

No.

167.

Cap,

To

?^

liang.

jja.

An interjection,

Frontier, desert,

lost,

Cut, eight,

f^

wang.

Two,

Remarks.

''"^tS^"'

A-

picture of
the animaL

Enter, inside,

and
Sonnd.

tia.

tt^

Obscure,
Am.

Meaning

Six,

hsien.

5/e.

1^

lisiung.

Precede,

f^

Modern
Form.

EadicaL

Variant of No.
22

Elder brother,

/Li

wen,

Classifier.

hua.

jCTi, 1/iH.

Sluio

Kemarks.

Flowers, glory, Old

Plate XXXII

IV.

See No. 167.

flay,

kiui.

Curtain,
table cover,

Radical.
"^^^^^

^o

176

Shade, dark,
ming.

Ice,
ping.

Small

table,

ki.

15th

Radical.

See No.

86.

Radical.
gee No. 181,

16th

Plate XXXIII.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol. IV

Shuo wen,

Modern

classifier.

Form.

Meaning

c,

R
u

^,

Short feathers,
shu.

;i.

/a

li

W
^

ii

To

See No. 159.

^
^x

To

exact
Obsolete,
form of vessel

now unknown.

issue,

77

ISth

Radical.

it

See No. 164.

hio.

jin, yin.

stick,

Vn

strength,

strength,

kH.

Tendon,

A "notched
stick" and
"knife."

19tli

Radical:

See No. 48.

li.

ft

^^

Obsolete.

hsie.

Wrap.
pao.

See No. 327.

a ladle,

To

enfold,

pw.

See No. 328.

384_

pi.

21st

Back

to back,

pei, po.

Radical.

See No. 161.

used

only

"north."
Adopted from

for

coincidence of
sound.

Receptacle,
fang.

22d

Covered recep- 23d

tacle, coffer.

hu.

Ten,

Radical.

See No. 182.

Radical.

Allied to No.
182.

24tli

Radical-

See No. 399.

hsiian.

See No. 401.

ftt

-ttf

ch

V-

?
[-

ik

Chinese Ideographs.

')?

Also old form

No. 297.

of

Noon,

ggg No. 303.

wu.

Half,
pan.

See No. 304.

Winnowing

gge No. 189.

To dip with
cho, ghuo.

fe

Spoon, ladle,

Thirty,

United
concord,

^^

Fleeing,

The

small stroke
indicates the
knife-edge.

ggg

Wit.

shih.

^^

No, not,

-4-

See No. 107.

Bemarkg.

Souud.

eh'u.

To notch

Is,

Meaning
and

Now

Cutting-edge,

Radical.

hxiunff.

sort of
utensil,

Form.

'^

Unlucky, bad,

ts'u.

;?7

and

See No. 47.

Willow basket,

Modern

part

^f 'J^os. 12

17th

gape,

k'an.

Knife,

9>

Component

W6n,

classifier.

20.

ill

Sliiio

Kemarks.

and
Sound.

fan,

pan.

divine,
pu.

25th

Sea], knot,

26th

To

Me.

To

rule,

k'ing, chi.

Radical

See No. 361.

Radical.

See No. 209.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo W6n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

^^

and
Sound.

sign,

hum.

^r*

fl

M
?

s
r

;t

ggg No.

60.

Shuo Wfin,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

^i

p'ien.

United,

^""'

Si
g^^

j^o. 300.

htm.

lllic"'

UnfilJal,

^
R

359.

Im.

Right hand,
2/.

clasped

as in greeting,
kung.

v:3

But, only,

RadicaL

See

also

Radical.

,.

h1

=1

/^

>g

-^

'^

op

of

No.

294.

30th

RadicaL

See No. 34.

k'o.

control,

(^

\^

See No. 242.

si'.

See No. 243.

hou.

Ancient,
ku.

See No. 326.

kii.

Scribe,

gge No. 246,

shih.

Cry of

terror,

Iisuan.

Chinese Ideographs,

syno-

Obsolete

nym

tree.

Sign of permission, may,

Twist, phrase,

o5th
.

allied sign of
different origin signifies a

chih.

^"'^''

See No. 58.

No.

219.

descend,

k'ou.

To

Stones piled up.

Cf. No. 273.

of

p'iao.

Mouth,

ggg No. 310.

29th

To

28th RadicaL

Single, only,
chuan.

Hands

fy^

Inversion of No.

nym

mythical

Go, depart.

lei,

See No. 95.

tit.

High, heap.

06

RadicaL

jTth

nan.

Thick,

jiie.

X3l

g^^ -^^ glO.

syno-

Obsolete

An

cho.

Overhanging

pull,

Connected,

yl

To

chih.

yin.

Remarks.

Sound.

round

Fear, danger,

Meaning
and

wine-jar,

Seal, signet,

Remarks.

5-7 A. M.,

^ggs,

^^

Plate XXXIV.

Meaning

Horary

^1

IV.

Slow of

8i)eech,

na.

Two mouths.
Obsolete.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo Wen,

Modem

Classifier.

Form.

Meaning
and

Remarks.

Sound.

From "ox," and

To

gore,
publish,

4:

a complex sign

now contracted.

kao.

^:7

Backbone,

*7

Shuo WSn,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

\3J

See No. 53.

lit.

V3

Cry of pain,
hao.

ff

/
A

Rank, order.
p'tn.

/^

"Mouth"
To

?l

wail, cry,

'^

k'u.

XXXV

Plate

IV,

Meaning
and

Remarks.

Sound.

Lattice window,
kiung.

Earth, clay,

g^^

full,

Pendant,
en

^^

32d

Radical.
See No. 80.

I'u.

Complete,
t mg.

g^^

236.

j^^,

g^^ j^^ 272.

ui.

re-

peated, and
"dog." Originally "howl."

Redoubt,
yung.

See also under

189th Radical.
Of. No. 250.

From "
To speak,
yUn, yuan.

Happy,

V+

ch

I.

No.

Beast of burden

(sound

unknown).

t
o
e5

91.

Obsolete.
Shuo
;v6n guesses it
to be a horse's

ahei, si.

\27

Enclosure,
n-ei.

Fo;""-

\TE?

Top

vi?

31st Radical.
See No. 142.

See No. 393.

of the head
(or) fietus in
Obsolete,

womb,
lisin.

Furnace-flue,

window,*

\i7

clay.

ch'uang, ts'ung.

Qf
'

yao.

Officer, scholar,

273.

jjjj

33d

Radical.

~\~

tt

T"

Great^full,

f
t
f

Kettle,

^
^

^chr'

34th Radical.

-^

,?"^i.

35th Radical.

Yvfid.

Desire, covet,

yellow "
"earth,"

referring
g to
color of the

kin.

Piled up, high,

Obsolete.
Also
old variant of

^^"y-.
chi,

I
it

-.

tid

,
Loess
earth,

glad,

hd.

V3

and

,,

Chinese Ideographs.

ahih.

See No. 237.

,,

J^-

Am.

9th of

the

gj^^^^
236.

Ten
j^^_

Original was a
picture of the
utensil.

Single, one,

V3

i.

Evidently derived from last.

Joyous,
chii,

chu.

5.

'

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shiio

WOn,

Classifier.

Modern
Form.

Meaning
and
Sound.

Large,

ii

Large,

1^

Master,

Pleasing,

Plate XXXVl.

IV.

Evening,

Radical.

36tli

See No. 131.

hsi.

Remarks.

Origin obscure.

Shno Wfn,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

^
n

BadicaL

37th

la.

Alternate
of last.

form

(s\

See No. 244.

/.

yao.

f
t
^
^
^

^
k

kao, hao.

Go and

H^

come,

t'ao.

To kowtow,
"'

Man

with head

inclined.

'it

'h

Remarks.

and
Sound.

Respectful,

obsolete.

Chan, Chun.

Roof, house,

40th

Radical.

See No. 141.

mien.

Store-room,
chu.

Cobra, that,
another,

Originally

a
cobra with inflated hood.

t'o.

Palace,
kung.

See No. 144.

Knee-pan,
horary sign,
3-5 P. M.,
yin.

Dream,

Release,

tr

.-s

See No. 286.

to.

Meaning

mhig.

Finger-joint,
inch,

contracted
form

now

of this
used.

is

41st Radical.
See No. 43.

ts'un.

Small,
hsiao.

42d

Radical.

See No. 285.

Bugbear,

t
*

Collect, hoard,

bandit,

nie.

Aflluent,

shii.

Crooked,
deformed,
wang.

It

Corpse,

Foot-measure,

24.

Radical.

Tail, end,

43d Radical.

Outspread

#
k
^

wings,
sui, hsin.

Woman,
nu.

Male

child,

<

agth

Radical.

See No.

39th

See No.

26.

Chinese Ideographs.

sJiih.

chHh.

xmi.

44th

Radical.

See No. 61.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo Wen,
-

'

Classifier.

Modern

Form.

Plate XXXVII,

IV.

Meaning

Modern

Kemarks.

ana
Sound.

classifier.

Shuo W^n
oi
^
n ^
"That on which ^'\^> ^""^ >

Form.

Meaning
and
Sound.

Remarks.

\^

lU

the foot rests,"

U.

Sprout,

action
duct.

con-

RadicaL

45tii

ch'ie.

See No. 103.

Hill, mountain,

46th

Radical.
See No. 93.

shan

Mountain peak,
*^

except

Obsolete

com b n a-

in

tion.

e.

e,

^
^

Horary

e
t

Obsolete.

(tl

>1^

High rugged

(^

wei.

Radical.
See No. 85.

kiuin.

Cf.

No. 85.

I
l\

W'

Nest on a

Obsolete.
Cf.

tree,

ch'ao, tg'ao.

I
^

Labor,^work,

XX

II

XX

IX

I f,

1
Leit-hanu,
'

No.

Very

skilful,

chan.

See No.

57.

pa.

Head-kerchief,
kin.

SOtli

Radical

See No. 175.

tsa.

Ifepicts birds in
a nest over the
sign for tree.

^^^.^^^

^^^^

4l

1 ^T"

.,,

,.

?f

tt

^4>

No. 369.

Obsolete.

r
m ^

Chinese Ideogkaphs.

Obsolete.

pi.

Shield, weapon,
kan.

51st

Radical.

See No. 216.

g^^ j. 283.

ten.

Young, tender,
"(,_

Small,

under 4th Rad-

Cf.

silk,

Uvel, even,

Cf. 8th classifier

,

See No. 177.

shih.

Ragged,

85.

ical.

Divination,
magic,
vm.

clap
hands.

po, pel.

Stream 30 miles
lone

See No. 329.

Worm,

White

Obsolete.

Brooklet,

{{

47th

River,
ch 'uan.

Radical.

sign,

9-11 A. M.,

Market,

peak,

;il

49tli

^f!^'

Pervade,

Mountain range, ,

Mn.

fine,

52d

RacUcal.
See No. 330.

See No. 331.

yu.

Shed, cover,
yan, yen.

Change, age,
king.

''t t^^''

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol,

Shuo Wdn,
Classifier.

Modern
Form.

f^

Unicorn,

To move

on,

To go

Allied to No.

54th

Radical.

steadily,

?
1?

^t

?
??

Classifier.

Form.

u
H^

t.

56th Radical is
not
a Shuo
\V6n

classifier.

Radical.

kung.

See No. 211.

Bow-string,

From "bow" and

"silk" con-

lisien.

tracted.

C'

dupli-

cated.

Heart,
Asm.

I,

IT

%)

^^

tf

)^

Swine snout,
ki.

Carved wood,

58th
Cf.

Radical.
No. 18.

Supposed
pict

lu.

to de-

carved

Stripes,
feathers,
shan.

Variant

toen.

279.

of

No.

Radical.

See No. 41.

si'.

Halberd,

Battle-axe,
yo, yUe.

rt

fi

Battle-axe,
wu, mou.

rf

f
4

62d

Radical.

See No. 213.

5th of the

Ten

Stems.

Re-

lates to earth.

See No. 214.

lorary
sign.

7-9

p. M.,

^
4

as No.

215.

As.

See No. 307.

Window,

63d Radical.

hu.

See No. 191.

Hand,
shou.

Hand,

Not same

shou.

64th

Radical.

See No. 36.

Obsolete variant
of last.

Substance,

59th Radical.

Writing, sign,

61st

Think,

kim.

A\

lines.

Radical.

See No. 311.

80, jui.

ti.

60th

consider,

Younger
brother,

'

^^,.^'

'Bow"

Remarks.

Doubtful,

Obsolete.

han.

k'iang.

and
Sound.

of

a bow,

Meaning

^''wiif

See also under

29th Radical.

Strong,

f?

Modern

RadicaL

55th
kung.

Twang

Shuo WCn,

slow,
ch'ien, eh'an.

Bow (weapon), 57th

3.

See No. 315.

yin.

Lance,

Remarks.

chai.

f*

^^nj"^

Plate XXXVIIL

IV.

Chinese Ideographs.

5t

ts'ai.

^'Z'''
chih.

65th Radical.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Sluio

W6n,

Classifier.

Modern
Form.

^^^nd"^

Tap,ja,,,

M
i{

Teach, to cause,

Sign, mark,
wcH.

i^

Release,
fang.

'""

67th

68th

It

Cy.

jg^
No. 188.

is

W6n

jang.

r.,

Vacant,

""*

Indigestion,

Sun, day,

Sunrise,'

J:

^p'

ji,

j ^

y,,,,^

classifier.

Reverse of 76th
Radical,

i.

q. v.

72d

Radical.
See No. 71.

B^

Just now,

Bright, clear,

clang.

^^'

Q
l^

'^"''

^'Yii

To

^
^
rn

jj^,

^'^^

^- 309-

congregate,
hui.

Moon, month,

>1

yue.

Have, hold.

;iv

Tree, wood,

77

74thRadical.
See No. 72.

Hand
an

y.

mu.

grasping

object.

CD

Chinese Ipsogkaphs,

Radical.
See No. 97.

pin.'

yet,

-7^

horary

sign 1-3 P. M.,

See No. 387.

wa.

Bind,

C3

^
CD

75th

Root, origin,

;fv

ggg No. 302.

g^g

73d Radical.

vl/

74.

See No. 259.

this,

Quartz crystal. See No. 75.

tan.

Dawn,

Not
See No.

change, easy,

Radical.

Radical

71st
j^

classifier.

Related to No.
jgg

W6n

ki.

'

To

gb7

not a Sliuo

70th

^l'''

j,,

Kemarks.

Sound.

ch'&n.

Radical

,^^>
*'"

t=7

t^

Radical.

g^^

Form.

Radical.

See No. 27U.

Meaning
and

Modern

!&
'^

8
ee

kiao.

rtI
Dipper,
peck,

Wen,

Classifier.

66thRadical.

69th

Sliuo

Remarks.

^^^^^_

*i

Plate XXXIX.

IV.

tie,

shu, su.

Thorn,
t>'-i.

^""IrnV""''

See No. 125.

S?^ No, 121.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

SIiuo

W^n,

Classifier.

Modem
Form.

Meaning
and

Remarks.

Sound.

Grass-husk,

jk
Thrifty
growth,

!-

Plate XL

IV,

^huo Wfn,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

See No. 100.

leaning
Remarks.

j
Sound.

This, here.

J:t

Step,

See No. 101.

From "man'
and "stop."

ts'i.

See No. 318.

pu.

p'o.

)T(

41

M[

m^

^
^K

Grove,

Bad,
98.

fi

Flowers,

See No. 99.

p'i.

^,5

branches of a
"tree."

kie.

die,

From

"man"

and "bad."

si'.

fniit,

han.

Depicts fruit on
a tree.

To bore a

fi^

^=t

79th

To bind,
hun, kuii.

Radical.

"Man" and

kill,

"hand"

.<Au.

gesting

sug-

kill-

Kill,

"Tree" and
ch'L

long spear,

ing.

1^
Varnish,

hole,

clinn.

Pursuit, trade,

Dead,

5t

"men"
impaled on

78th Radical.

tai.

Possibly
Cruel,

Pendant

ri

See No.

tin.

"water,"

c,

i.

" tree-sap."

^^

J:k:

sha.

Do

not,

vm.

Equal,

Obsolete.

pi.

80th

Radical.
See No. 383.

81st Radical.
See No. 282.

76th Radical.

Yawn, weary,

Keversed form

deficient,

of 1st classifier

k'ien.

u
^

ch'ien, yen.

Obsolete.

1^

yin.

Stop,
ehih.

chini/.

like a
hare.

Obsolete.

ch'ue.

St

Obsolete.

77th

Animal

See

also under 85th

Radical.

Drink,

Exact,

ll

71st

Radical.

Spittle,

yX

under

Radical.

See No. 110.

Hai r,

-J//

Chinese Ideographs.

3.5.

Fur,
Is'ui.

^'"^Am""''

Vapor,

See No. fll.

See No.

k'i.

83d Radical.

84th

Radical.
See No. 13G.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo W6n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

Meaning
and

'.^\

shui.

Remarks.

RadicaL

85th
See

I^o. 84.

*./
A<.

.'llli

i&

Perpelual,
yung.

^]]^^'
ch ut.

Spittle,

in

Plate XLI,

Sound.

Water,

IV.

ch'ien, yen.

Water-spring,
cA aji.

Shuo Wn,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

Obsolete plural.
*^

See also under

76th radical.

g^^ j^o.

X
X

Claw,

;^

cAao.

Father,

To

blend,
yao.

XX

XX

and
Sound.

talons,

g^^ j^^ ggg

Meaning

White
cloth.

AX.

RadicaL

87th

See No. 44.

88th Radical

is

Shuo

not

Wfin

classifier.

89th Radical.

Depicts

textile

fabric.

Obso-

lete.

Bed,

87.

Remarks.

ch'uang.

90th
is

Radical
Shuo

not a

Wn

classifier.

Mingled

l^

waters,
Asim, ch'iian.

Fire,

Amo.

To

roast,

chih.

Flame, hot,
yen.

yen.

Obsolete.

86th

BadicaL

See No.

81.

"Flesh"

over

dupli-

cated.

7^

cated.

Raven,

gge No. 20.

wu.

The

uy

"fire."

"Fire"

)t

Tooth,
ya.

Cow, ox,'
niu.

The

^.i

k'iian.

Skyblue,
dark,

92d

Radical.

See No. 51.

93d

Radical.
See No. 5.

94th

Radical.

See No.

7.

95th Radical.

hsiian.

Lead,

command,

'r$^

91st Radical.
See No. 341.

yak,

Dog,

-1.

bear,

haluntj.

Splinter,
p'ien

Depicts a banner
as sign of rank.

shuai.

To

'1^

cook,

stove,
te'uan.

The swallow,

Obsolete.
No. 171.

g^^ j^^ j^

See

t-

Jadestone,

King,

Chinese Ipeographs,

yil.

wanfj.

96th
Cy.

Radical.
No. 234.

See No. 234.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shno W6n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

Plate XLII.

IV.

Meaning

Shuo

Remarks.

and
Sound.

Wfin,

Classifier.

Meaning
and

Modern
Form.

Bemarks.

Sound.

"T""^

5i-

;lX

Jade ornament, Occurs only

Lute, violin,

See No. 198.

k'in.

^elon,

V37

in

proper names.

kite.

Adjacent

97tji Radical.

<

Weedy

ll\

>

S.

Strange,

^
t

Flexible thongs, obsolete.

Isun.

Sweet,

if

o/

Produce,
sUng.

100th Radical.

Use,
yung.

lOlst Radical.
See No. 344.

in

Demon's head,

Fingernail,

(^

'f

^1^

"^

See No. 109.

102d

r<f

ggg

/t.

lit

/<-

opposed,

^^

into the ground,

p. M.,

Human

male,
nan.

roll of cloth,

^^r,_

No.

to

103d Radical.

p'l.

Sick,'
,-.

"Man"

on a

"bed."

Cf.

No. 154.

Back

to back,

105tli Radical.

po.

Water soaking 10th

White

stem, relatto

north

loeth Radical.
'

Depicts

vi;

ing

and water.

kuei.

white

of the eye.

Form,

gee No. 46.

mao.

1!

/L.

vi7

Dark
jj,,

42.

gray,
drab,
tsao.

T,
Two

See No. 352.

shSn.

M7

23.

104th Radical.

Deity, horary

3-5

No.

358.

354

kia.

sign,

j^^_

Allied

fu.

ti)

in

Paint, draw,
hua.

Radical.

See No. 184.

t'ien.

(17

Radical.
See No. 342.

99tli

kan.

Field,

LU

Radical.
See No. 196.

98tli

wa.

Occurs

ggg

Blessed,

^\^

'Au.

Tile,

land,

obsolete.

chih.

Gourd,

fji.

fields,

VI7

g^g jj^ 23.

ii

P4

;t

Chinese Ideograph.^.

hundred,

Rawhide,
p I.

"Hundred "du^^,5^^,^^,

y^.

solete.

jQ7^jj Radical.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo Wen,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

'71^

Plate XLIII,

IV.

Meaning
Remarks.

""",

bound.

See No. 155.

Eye-brows,

See No.

3L

Shield,

fk

To

Behead

Timid,

'^

/s

Investigate,

*l

Obsolete.

ti

Bird's eyes.

left,

Two

/(.sw.

116th Radical.
See No. 194.

Set up, stand,

117th Radical.

li.

See No. 320.

'k

Two

abrea,st,

Lance,

110th Radical.

Sinew,

mao.

See No. 220.

kin.

A rrow,

111th Radical.

sink.

See No. 212.

Stone,
shift.

112th Radical.
See No.

96.

ft
Heaven's

113th Radical.

influence,

See No. 353.

si.

118th Radical.
See No. 117.

^i

7T

jjo. 321.

misfortune,

Bamboo,

eyes.

g^g

ping.

Crime,

look right

and

ki.

Cave,

kil.

*,f

li

Obsolete.

-fi.

To

I' It.

See No. 232.

kii.

nX

See No. 49.

hsie.

Remarks.

Rare, seldom.

f^

(?),

and
Sound.

??

tun, shun.

look up,

Meaning

Bald, bare,

mei.

Form.

109th Radical.

Eye,
mu.

91

Modem

Classifier.

108th RadicaL

Dish,

ee

Shuo wen.

Winnowing
fan,

See No. 183.

ki.

Shelled grain,

119th Radical.

See No. 124.

grain

measure,

Obsolete.

hui.

Foot-print,

P\

^*?

track,

114th Radical.

jou.

Growing crops,

4;

/ifi,

htio.

Silk,
mi.

115th Radical.
See No. 118.

Connect, bind,
hsi.

Chinkse Idkographs.

120th Radical.
See No. 134.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo W6n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

IV.

Meaning
and

Plate XLIV.

Remarks.

White

Cy.

No. 134.

See No. 135.

Silk thread,
si.

f&

foil.

&.

PI

121st Radical.
See No. 158.

Pottery, jar,

[^

Net,
wang.

122d

Sheep, goat,

123d

Radical.

See No. 165.

Radical.

See No.

yang.

6.

Odor

of goats,
rancid,
shan.

If

Long

feathers,

flock of goats.

124tli Radical.

See No.

yii.

Constant

45.

Form.

^^^'
fa""""'''

^25tli Radical.

Whiskers,
&.

Spring up.
cause,
luan.

Now

a conjunc-

tion.) See No.

38.

Sprout with
roots. (Not
from last.

P|-.

Ear,

Stylus, pen,

129th Radical.

2/.

See No. 202.

6r.

Meaning
and

Bamboo brush
'

Flesh,

>i,i*

jou.

Natu.1

fe

6t:

g
Q

m
a

127th Radical.

Si

128tli Radical.

See No. 32.

ti

^
e

ts*

130th Radical.

OS S5
^^^^

^-^^ ^^^

bear.

Prime Minister,

131st Radical.
See No. 239.

ch'Sn.

Chin,
i.

rest,

wd, ngo.

Moral,
worthy,
hsien.

self,

132d

Radical.

tgi.

See No. 269.

Head,

Obsolete form of

shou.

Unto, towards,
chih.

No.

29.

,_, ., ,. ,
133d Radical.

&

Mortar,

134th Radical.

kiu.

See No. 200.

Kiln,

r.

^^

Chinese Ideographs.

abil-

ity, able,

Kecline,

BA

Obsolete.

See No. 54.

"^"i'-

Bemarks.

Sound.

Nose,

hsi.

Modem

flight,

to practice,

W^n,

silk

lace,

Sliuo

Classifier.

Sound.

kii.

Offer, lift up,

See No. 201.

yil-

Perhaps related
to No. 346.

Tongue,

135th Radical.

sId.

See No. 56.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Sliuo

WCn,

Classifier.

Modern
Form.

Meaning
and

Remarks.

Sound.

Oppose<l,
perverse,

^4

Plate XLV.

IV.

Slum Wen,
Classifier.

Meaning
and
Sonnd.

Form.

Tiirer '

I-

136tli Radical.

ch'tian.

Modern

1\

Remarks.

Same

as last. See

No.

2.

Tangled

n
^

til

Sacrificial

brush,

vase,

thicket,
shun.

Boat,

ship,
chou.

Root,
ken.

2^
137tli Radical.

is

not a Shiio

Wen

classifier.

139tli Radical.

shei, she.

119

Itun.

Radical

138th

Obsolete.

hsi.

Tiger rampant,

See No. 170.

Color,
lust,

^f7

A
ii

yen, hsien.

vusoieie.

Worm,
insect,

ch'ung.

Reptiles,
k'un.

142d

Radical.
See No. 11.

"Worm"

du-

plicated,

sug-

gesting a

fari^er

class

mals.

"Worm"

Grass, plants,
leaves,

140tli Radical.

Is'ao.

See No. 104.

ani-

of

Insects
(generic),
eh'ung.

sect"

or "intripli-

cated, suggesting large numbers.

Illicit,

ts

kou.

!l^

mu.

Herbs
maii(j.

Obsolete variant
of No.

11.5.

Cloak,

145th Radical.

garments,
kHa.

i.

Flowers,

T
AA

Horned

owl,
huan.

144th Radical.

See No. 166.

Skin
Origin obscure.

#1
glory,
hua.

'

55.

SeeNo.317.

^f

Goat's
horns,
huan.

Radical.

hZ}.

]\

13

143d

See No.

hide.

'^

Clover,

(generic),

Blood,

A
See No. 106.

"Horns"

(^

rB7

"bird."

i\

lid,

146th Radical.

hsia.

(not

"grass") over

cover,

^5

West,
hsi.

See No. 122.

y^^J
Sprouts,

kJ

ju.

T'ger,
Att.

141st Radical.
Variant of
No. 2.

Chinese Ideographs,

See, look,

i47tii Radical.

*-'"

See No. 267.

Look,
yao.

Obsolete,

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol,

Shuo Wfin,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

(k

Plate XLVI.

IV.

Meaning
and
Sound.

Remarks.

Horn,

148th Radical.

kiao,

kiie.

See No. 60.

Shuo W6n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

Speech,

149tli Radical.

yen.

See No. i76.

Dispute,

it

^'""'^Ar*^'"^'

Laughter,

vs

150th Radical.

dish,

tou.

^
^

obsolete.

Kue, kiu.

Stemmed

"Words"
"Words."

king.

151st Radical.
See No. 156.

Ii

s.

Plenty, rich,
fing.

See No. 323.

2.

^
i

152d

1^

shih.

shih.

Pig, pork,

1^

flf

'un.

CJ.

Radical.

No

18.

Variant of last.
See No. 18.

Synonym

1
^

Unicorn,

chai.

A.

ch'ih.

To

go, walk,
'sou.

Foot,

;i

<si^

Body,

f
f

sh&n.

i.

1.

Contracted form
of

No. 336.

155th Radical.
"Great" and
"fire."

156th Radical.
See No. 316.

157th Radical.
See No. 37.

158th Radical.
See No. 28.

Chariot, cart,

159th Radical.

cA'^.

See No. 206.

Bitter,

160th Radical

hsin.

See No. 343.

pi.

jef

Adversaries in

^1

court, debate.
pien, p'ien.

Morning,
horary sign,

161st Radical

ch'Sn.

run,

162d Radical.

^A

eho.

See No. 312.

&

City,

163d Radical.

i.

See No. 249.

(Meaning and

153d

Radical.
See No. 10.

Bemarkg.

Prince,

t^

sound unknown.

Usedonlyin
combination,

Amphora,

ri

Red,

4
O

See No.

C:

To
of last.

Elephant,
hsiang.

p
m

string, con-

Why, how,
k'L

and
Sound.

To

--

ll

^
a

Meaning

Shell, value,

154th Radical.

j)ei.

See No. 132.

Chinese Ideographs.

horary sign, 5-7 164th Radical.

p. M.,
See No. 172.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Sliiio

WCn,

Classifier.

iModem

Plate XLVII.

Meaning
Rernnrks.

and
Sound.

Form.

^LS,

IV.

Old wine,

Slino

Wen,

Classifier.

ripe,

Derived

Meaning
and
Sound.

Form.

from

Remarks.

Cloud,

ta^

last.

ch'iu.

Modern

See No. 90.

yiln.

7?
Red>clear>skv"f*^.?t^dical
'

To

sort out,
pien.

165th Radical.
See

jS'o.

Jl

348.

^.""f.^"'

"* '"

Village, third
of a mile,

166th Radical.

li.

Heavy,

Metal,

167th Radical.

km.

See No. 82.

Long,

n
+

I
a

Door,
man.

169th Radical.

Mound,

170th Radical.

fou.

See No. 193.

See No. 169.

Depression l)etween moimds. Obsolete.

fou,

Not

right, not,

ings).

175th Radical.
See No. 380.

Face,

176th Radical.
See No. 30.

i(?,

177th Radical.

kei.

Leather thongs, 178th Radical.

wei.
See No. 197.

Leeks,

179th Radical.

kiu.

See No. 116.

Sound, note,

180th Radical.

yin.

See No. 277.

Head, book-leaf,

II.

'"b' tB a
('-'i
curious succession of mean-

fei.

Leather,

168th Radical.

ch'ang.

7f

#
5

chung.

ii

color>blue^ ""^

jg^^^ Radical.

171st Radical.

Depicts

Overtake,

Ought,

"hand" grasp-

lot.

ing "tail."

Short-tailed

172d

birds,

Radical.

See No.

chui.'

Birds chattering,
wrangle,

"Bird"

13.

At

i$L

Si.

m
i^

li

Flock of birds,
tm,

Iso.

K"'"-

y-

'

p'in.

Radical.

See No. 89.

182d Radical.
^2JJ,'''

To

Obsolete.

173d

Urgent,

dupli

cated.

ch 'ou.

tit

Itsii.

<ft

1^

Chinese Idkogkaphs.

fly,

fei.

Foo<l, oat,
shih.

183d Radical.
See No. 63.

184th Radical.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Shuo Wfn,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

Plate XLVIII-

IV.

Meaning
and
Sound.

Remarks.

Head,

185th Radical.

Shuo Wfin,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

^
?
fol

1
"7

See No. 20.

shou.

186tli Radical
is not a Shuo

V3

Incense,
fragrant,
hsUing.

187tli Radical.

iTtp

Horse,
ma.

Wen

classifier.

See No.

Bone,

4.

^1

189tli Radical.

See No. 305.

^.

Redoubt,
kuo.

1^

igeth Radical.
See No. 12.

niao.

Salt, rude,

197th Radical.

lu,_

See No. 133.

Synonym

of

last.

yen.

Deer, stag,

198th Radical.
See No.

;^_

Fleet, timid,

Herd

3.

of deer.

Is'u.

a4

Space

between
inner and outer
city gates.
Modern form
has
"city"

Long-tailed
bird (generic).

iZZL

lie

188tli Radical.

kao.

Remarks.

Salt,

mr

High,

and
Sound.

I'll

/it

V^

Meaning

5^

Wheat,

i99tii Radical.

iai, met.
:5?

added.

^^

Human

hair,

Hemp,

190tll Radical.

See No. 40.

piao.

/t^l^

fla.\,

200th Radical.

ma.

191st Radical.

Wrangle,

P5

t
o

tou.

Ghost,

spirits,

IS

Yellow,

"liands" con-

^17

tending.

192d

Large incense

jgg^

Radical.

last.

5|i5

Demon,

^
^

kuei.

194th Radical.
See No. 354.

Fish,

195th Radical.
See No.

yu.

8.

ii<

-iA^

;*

Large

fish

(generic),

intensive of
obsolete.

Tall millet,

growing,

last,

yu.

Chinese Ideographs,

Radical.

203d

Radical.

To embroider, 204th Radical.

/4^

cidh.

See No. 180.

Toad,

205th Radical.

min, meng.

202d

shu.

ft^

See No. 373.

^jn'ff'

201st Radical.

hvMng.

>

Radical.

See No. 370.

ch'ang.

Variant of

Depicts

Small incense
t".!'*^'

i^^

See No.

9.

joeth Radical.
See No. 304.

wnjf.

I^^um-

207th Radical.

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol IV

Shiio

W6n,

Classifier.

Modern
Form.

(J

Bemarks.

Rat, mouse,

208th. Radical.

Shuo W6n,

Modern

Classifier.

Form.

See No. 21.

II
Nose,

^ ^
m
w.

and
Sound.

shu.

Meaning

Plate XLIX.

pi.

209th Radical.

and
Sound.

Bemarks.

Dragon,
lung.

212th Radical.

/7

Tortoise,

213th Radical.

See No. 33.

?:9

Meaning

kuet.

See No. 10.

iii

Growing
millet,

210th Radical.

Fife, organ,

chH.

See No. 119.

yiie.

Front

teeth,

ch'ih.

211th Radical.
See No. 52.

Chinese Ideographs.

214th Radical.

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

seem

It is unsafe to

to be groundless.

place absolute confidence in all of the

etymologies of the Shuo Wen, but on the other hand,

it is

a great error to treat

Even the compilers

been done by some, as throughout unreliable.

as has

19

it,

of the

Kanghsi Dictionary had their doubts about many of the conclusions of the Shuo

Wen,

as will appear

by a perusal of that work.

have merited the approval of that able corps of

upon the whole

Still

it

seems to

scholars.

There are in existence more than one version of the Shuo Wen, which show pro-

nounced variations in the

This divergence in readings

text.

What

is

probably due to the

from early independent transcriptions of the

several versions having been derived

original manuscript.

is

needed

is

a revision of the text, after careful com-

parison of the extant versions, by a corps of Chinese and foreign scholars, along the

To

lines of textual criticism.

cite

tion of a certain ancient measure

being so great

Some
it

iis

is

There are

is

is

unable to determine the intended dimensions.

likely the cause of this variation, but just

also instances

where the definition

irreconcilable with subsequent

is

This leads the student to suspect that an early copyist has

substituted another character for the one intended.

in a language in

single stroke

is

easily

may ma-

symbol.

Another source of error may be

in the imperfections of the original manuscript,

a matter of tradition that the

is

This kind of error

which the addition or omission of a

terially alter the significance of a

for it

when and where

the question.

meanings of a symbol.

made

defini-

variously given in two versions, the discrepancy

to leave the reader

error in copying

occurred

an example of divergence in readings, the

Shuo Wen was published

after the

death of

the author, thus embodying in the text some inadvertent errors which a review by
the author might have eliminated.

The Chinese commentators

of the

Shuo

Wen

have themselves made some

genious surmises in their efforts to reconcile textual contradictions, and in

instances are free to admit that there
versions.

Combine the

ability of the

must be

in-

many

errors of long standing in the extant

European textual

critic

with the accumulated

knowledge of the Chinese antiquarian, and some of the knotty questions might find
a solution.

In Plates

XXX.

forty "classifiers,"

to

XLIX.,

which

tion.

as

now

have given a

in the opinion of the

list

of the five hundi-ed and

author of the Shuo

in the

Shuo Wen

modern form together with the English

definition

the later written language.

equivalent

inclusive, I

To the form given

These symbols have been arranged so as

accepted by

modern

lexicographers.

to fall

Wen

is

the basis of

have appended the

and the pronuncia-

under the successive radicals

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

20

THE ROYAL EDICT CONFIRMING THE DOMAIN OF

III.

Upon
in his

work on Old

is

shown a fac-simile

of this edict, as given

by Juan Yiian

Inscriptions, together with a transliteration into the

modern char-

Juan Yiian this remarkable text

three hundred and fifty-seven symbols was engraved upon a brass tripod originally

acter,

of

the following pages

SAN.'^'

and an attempt

at translation.^

According

in the collection of the Hsii (^^) family of

in the collection of one

Hung

(j*^),

to

Yang Chow (^|>H) but

presumably of the same

later (A. D. 1803)

It is

city.

accepted as

genuine by the scholar Juan Yiian, who seems to have been a discriminating student of

He suggests that the

old inscriptions.

^i

(I^-

The

0. 1122).

may date back

to the reign of

Wu Wang

style of this inscription is in semi-cursive character with

Contractions and variations are numerou.s, as

but few carefully executed symbols.

will

Edict

appear by compai'ing the symbols which occur more than once.

Some

show an arrangement of

of the symbols

ferent from that of their present form, such as

Others are
" hoi-se ";

name);

" son "

" eye "

(Q),

" well," with the

for nt

mouth

still

(2.),

J)

^ A for ^^.

for

"moon"

(^),

stemmed

"

parts (juite dif-

dish " (here a

in place

and a

fairly

good pair of doors

in

(|^),

man's

showing the tower over the city gate;

"ca[)ital city,"

(,^),

component

in the pictographic state, such as:

still

(-f ),

their

p^

(^),
(p^),

" gate."

The symbol
raises

"public" occurs thrice in such strange forms (^

^) that it
a question as to its derivation from ^ iclj unless^ (old formof ?('o) has become

mere scroll-work in the old cursive

The
and

text

I see

We

may

be regarded as rightly belonging to the early date ascribed to

no reason

know from

1122; that he

style.

set

it,

for suspecting it as a forgery.

history that

Wu Wang established

the

nine ministers over his realm, one of

Chou Dynasty

whom

)|],

B. C.

was San I-sheng

The instrument is executed in the form of an indenture, with description of

land and names of adjacent landholders as in modern Chinese deeds. The unusual
feature is the oath taken by the king and the go-betweens to secure the rights of the
clan or family of San.

An

incidental proof of antiquity

which sliows the cycle-signs in use

'^

For coDvenience this may

" This

is

the form of the date,

days of the month'^ instead of the later usage

" The San Edict."

lie flesi<;iiated

but a tentative translation,

for

is

minute study

for a

of local

geography ami history

is

necessary to throw light

upon many points otherwise obscure.

*8The

Op-

first

year of the 26th cycle coincides with B. C. 1137.

Here we find

(B. C. 1122-1115).

L,

Op, which

is

the

Either the assnmed reign

This was designated by

fifty-second year of the cycle

is

and

falls

^.

B. C. 112.

outside the reign of

incorrect, or else the date- mark applies to a

was

Wu Wang

day and not to a year.

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

21

This peculiarity, together with the general style of writing,

to designate years.

suggest a period at or near that of the "tortoise-shell" inscriptions referred to here-

The

after.

inscription

was presumably on the body of the tripod, and in case

it

covered the entire surface, the vessel must have been at least three feet in circum-

So heavy a bronze object would be hard

ference.
for its

and

to destroy,

may

account

having survived the ravages of time.

The habit of inscribing bronze

Chinese at a very early date.

vessels

and implements was

Inscriptions

upon

have a single symbol engraved or embossed upon the

which may be trade-marks.

inspector of arms.

vogue among the

butt,

usually in

Halberd-heads often

such as that for halberd,

Others have two or more characters giving names of

war, army, lightyiing.

and cross-bow

in

sacrificial vessels are

conventional language, affording no valuable historical data.

berds,

this

cities,

Numerals and dates frequently occur on swords,

triggers,

which are supposed

Old bronze hatchets and

to

hal-

be check-marks made by the

sometimes have marks cut into

chisels

the surface, probably for the purpose of identifying ownership.

In general, very

few Chinese inscriptions of ancient date afford any information of moment.

In view of
definite

the San Edict stands almost alone as an inscription furnishing

this,

information, unless

Ch'in Shih Huang-ti (B..C.

we except the Standard Weights and Measures of

240-230), upon which was inscribed the edict for uni-

formity with the reign and year.

the San Edict

and
at

its

an

is

Should

a cycle year-sign, then

it

it

be proved that the date affixed to

must be

purport would be the confirmation of

later

title to

than the reign of

Wu

Wang,

a domain presumably acquired

earlier date.

In passing
years.

it

may

be noted that the Chinese cycle consists of a period of sixty

Each year has a distinguishing

the "year sign," which

title called

posed of two characters selected from the twenty-two signs

and Twelve Branches.

cycles.

The

first

CJhinese chronology

year of the

first

is

known

as the

is

com-

Ten Stems

based upon the succession of the

cycle coincides with the year 2637 B.

C, com-

puted from known dates in Chinese history.

There

is,

however, some doubt as to the exact period

adopted for fixing the succession of years, and there

sition that the cycle-signs

year-signs.

The

late Dr.

were in use

for

is

when

much

the cycle-system was

to warrant the suppo-

days long before they became current as

,

Edkins was of the opinion that these twenty-two symbols

were chronological signs imported from Babylonia at a very early time.

his proofs were I am unable to state.

Just what

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

22

TRANSLATION.
Confirmation of the vast territory

and T'ao Rivers, thence south

willows

down

again

1.

*"

1 M

it n

f^

Kn

i4

e*

'Old form

of

ii

piao,

|2|^.

po.

X'' ?r

M.

t }f I

'^^

\B

fy =.).
(7)

of

gj!

"judicial district "

" " Landmark " (-^

row

I/'t

" (S)

)=K and

to a

here means "territory," an unusual sense,

"^

Beginning at the Hsien

thence west, bonnded by Po'' Ch'eng

;'^

-Vh

"

said San.

down stream by two land marks

r ^

1^

as a piao " {JL

thence

;^'

!<f

3"

is

domain now enjoyed by the

29

tiie

River, a land-marl;

-M t.
"^

i*

San-I,** being

thence

a
* *

Ta

the T'ao and Hsien rivers to Yii Ch'a'^ and (?) Mei

an apple tree

(city) to

to the

^'

was

now

(now a county),

obsolete

so San-I

originally a bush or tree

Here the symbol

is

The symbol

The only geographical name

(c/.

Kanghsi).

cited

the jurisdiction of San.

marking farm

a pictograph (^).

Probably local names.

is

It

lands.

seems

to

Kangsbi

illustrates it

" To set a tree

have also a verbal meaning.

^ has not been deciphered.

under this by Kanghsi

is

" Marsh in Yii Chon.'

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

along waste lands,'* bounded by a road, through [said lands] up a

Kang-So

'

turning to the right to a boundary road

ii

iH

iVv

f 7

*)

it

ii

yk

If.

}k

PI

>*

if

fk

^^

^r

1
^

4^ pR

P'^

'

Ts'i's

eastward

line,

9^

r
700

t*)

r^

135

'"Wasteland B":^^
""Wastelands"'^

"artemisia."

thence across So Mei Ling and

bounded by

^^

ai,

"thistle."

east,

/J

to

by a pool

thence

thence south

it

^ ^ t

5s

2m

^'

cliff

along a path, and thence by the former road to the highway

23

A^.

This

is

a guess.

The expression

is

obscure.

Ji

may mean "dry grass " and

Both clyiracters
have other meanings that are inapplicable here.
c
Full form for

(So Mei Ling) and

's^gji]

;^^

Here contracted.

(Kang So)

are probably local

names

of ridges,

'S^

(^)

resembles

be allied

^ (a.)

MEMOIKS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

24:

hounded by the Ki Lai'^ road

a poplar tree on the

left of

turning westward along and

theuce west to the line o(

up

to said

down Kang

"~

1^

il

)^

jt

^^

*^

ii

\m

>^

1^

J*.

li

'*-!??

%^ ^^^ \m)

is

obscure.

land- plot

(^

P,

take

W)

Hung Mu's

land to the Government

Government Plot eastward, along a road

it

Plot,

''

and from

landmark

down by Chou'*

as a local name.

refers to the ancient

Land was divided into nine plots, thus

Land

as boundary, to a

past three landmarks, and thence south to the highway

"Government
900.

the road

^.

The

government reservation

reservation

was

of 100

in the center

Mow

(acres) out of every

and was described by the sign

it, which soon coalesced with the symbol for " well"

'*The significance

of the

"judicial district," hut here

it

terms

"Chou" and "Kang"

seems to have special meaning,

(see next page) is uncertain.

e.

g.,

personal name.

The former

is

usually a

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

aad Kang, asoending So (a ridge) aad dowo

honorable elders,*" Fang Wu-fu," Hsi

Yu

way

(?) of

(?)

Feng Fu,

to a thicket

Kung,"

aud two land-marks, across the holdings

Hsiang, Ton, across Yii K'ao,

^S

Hsiang, across Ts'i Yuan, across Yii,

25

Lu

of the

Yu

Si''

and

Chfing, clan of Shih, the private gate-

(unidentified name), Huai, Superintendent of

Works Hu

Hsiao,

^ f X.

'5

^s

ii

r^

k""

m m ^

^^

X X

i^

"

"Yn-81 (;^

a]) "petty officers," "retainers."

These

officers

comprised inspectors and superintendents of many

departments under a feudal lord.

'"I venture

to

translate

usually means "ancestor."

*'

^ ^ (wu-fu)

at arms."
cites

Here

no case
*^i5

of

it is

is

i ^

"honorable elders,"

(i-tau) as

The expression "i-tau" may

cited by Kanghsi as a recognized

likely a

title,

-^y^ (fivng)

means "

-^

j^j^

of

like meaning.

/fj[

title,

hnt not

deflaed.

Itonght

to

mean "knight "

release," but ought to stand for a

man's name.

or

"man

Kanghsi

such usage, and Juan Yiian substitutes another symbol without textual authority.

''*'

^""ff 'S

" West Palace " and naually refers to the Harem.

signify that the following-named persons were eunuchs,

*'

analogous to

possibly be a name.

Unidentified symbols not found in Kangsi.

who

Here

as a class have great

it

may

be a personal name, or

power at Court.

it

may

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

26

Hung, and
domain are
Kiiin, Tsai

also Superintendent of
:

Inspector of

Te

fu,

Punishments K'ao Wei,

Land Pi Chou, Inspector

and hordering on the lands

of

/>
^

^'

5-

111

>l
r,

m^

(f>

-f^ <$!

%
HK

4^

^i

^
!'.'<

Kiao

(?)

J<

of
*'

Works Tun

Fn

**

-^

f^
=

i\\

**This and the preceding descriptive term are perplexing.

this indenture.

*^

"5

where in

Wu Tuan-fu,

^
y^

:^

These immediately adjacent to San's

Herdsman and Superintendent

San and the imperial** domain,**

1
^ f

in all fifteen officers.

of Cavalry Tan, Chief

The preceding

expression,

Hdao

tsi,

KB (kiug-ti'en) means "

'^
is

n9
\

an obsolete term

to

bound land "

of self-depreciation used

as else-

by an

emperor, literally meaning "little child."

*'The symbol !^

is

quite distinct, but

**The unknown sign ^i^

sessive

j^ and

is

is

not found in Kanghsi.

descriptive like

thus modify the following word.

\A

on page 28 and

may be

the same.

Both are followed by the

i)os

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

(?)" Chou-King (| >H

Officer

y,),

Yu

Ts'ung

(?)

Wei {'^ O), San's

27

number

retainers to the

of ten.

Now

the

King, in the Ninth Moon, Ch'en-Kia" I-Mao, makes oath before [his] Honorable Elders and Select Bannermen,''
saying,

"We

confer

upon the Clan

of

San

this land-token," securing [the land] to the

Clan

of

San in good

faith, else

let ns suffer

L"^

'3

=]

* m

5P

5)

<?f

^4

>i

t.

ni

""i

-/'X

'O

^.

j^

^^

A-

;|^

\i7

-?9^
;ka

^
^

Iff
*' fe is

'A

obscure,

Juan Yiian makes

it

+ J^

^ which seems far-fetched.

properly formed symbol, but not in Kanghsi.

''This seems to be a reversed horary couplet like several found in the "tortoise-shell " inscriptions (see infra).

The

-f" may be either ^^

" I-mao " (L ^0 refers

sign

5'

"Select."

kia or j(^ tmi "at."

to the

day

of the

Kanghsi quotes early use

of

If

an horary

sign, the

two (eh 'en kia) may mean "forenoon."

month, and not to the year as in the cycle system (adopted

)mian as substitute for

j^

hgUan "select."

^^

later).

Hi "troops,"

"bannermen."

*^
" token "

takt to be "land-token," referring to ths tripod inscribed with this indenture, and conferred as a

of title to the

domain.

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

28

a thonsand penalties a thousand fold,""

(or)

by Hsi Kung, Hsiang

Wu

Fu saying

"

We

Honorable Elders and Select Bannermen in turn make oath to

insure to the Clan of San possession of the lands irrigated (?)

walled, else let us suffer a thonsand penalties a thousand [fold]."

oath affix

\1

''

Hsi

Kuug and Hsiang Wu-fn upon

^*

and

thus taking

the seal.^

t ^

A<i

"^

ti

(?)

ti t

^
54

15
^i7

^ f

s'The sign 'ff (ch'uen) "delivered" with ^, mej^ns "a thonsand times inflicted," i. e., "a thousand fold." In
the second oath this sign has been accidentally omitted either by the original engraver or copyist.
"The sign fjlW is unquestionably j^ and is composed of "water" and "connect." It is not in Kanghsi, but

might mean " water-system " or " irrigate. " ^^ is contracted form
containing \) (t'ien) "field " may be names of localities.
5':^ (hsiang) "elephant"

> " ivory " >

^) (t'u) "seal," "diagram."

accompanied the

edict.

No

" carve

seal is

">

shown

of }|4 te'inny

"delineate."

Here

it

" wall."

The two expressions each

probably means "affix."

in this copy of the edict.

Possibly a

"map"

of the

domain

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

Tlie Great King, with Ton,

*'

in the

New

Palace, East Audience Hall.

29

on the

left ^*

the Royal Secretary, with

the Minister of Agriculture between/'

Jh

i"i

5
'

|i

IQ

57

(?)

IQ

V7

''

IS

" Probably the go-between,

as yet in China in all such transactions.

This name appears on page 25 as one

of the

retainers of San.
*'

is

Tradition makes the

in the Chinese army,

rifflii

hand the ancient seat

of honor,

hence properly that

where the right-wing (;^ '^) takes the precedence.

of the Ki7ig.

trace of this usage

Modern custom makes the

lefl

the seat of

honor.
*'I

make

the last symbol in the edict as above shown, " Minister of Agriculture."

%[' which closely resembles

agriculture " ^>?.DJ^"g'^j.

not grammatical.

^f*.

Modern form

Juan Yuan makes

it

is

Z|^

(nung) "farmer."

Kanglisi says

without orthographic evidence.

Old form
:

" Also

of

W should

title of officer

be

over

In either case the expression

is

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

30

ANCIENT INSCRIPTIONS UPON BONE AND TORTOISE SHELL.

IV.

A remarkable find of antiquities occurred in

ince)

upon the

site

of the ancient city

reported to have been

exhumed

1899 near Wei Hui

Chao Kuo

('h'eng

three thousand fragments.

Fu (Honan

(^>] ^^tjii,)-

Prov-

There were

The vendors went first

to

Peking, but finding that city disturbed by the approaching Boxer Uprising, they

brought their curios

Fig.

FiQ.

4.

to the city of

Weihsien (Shantung) and

Fig.

5.

Fig.

6.

/ma

left

a portion of the find in

Fig.

7.

8.

Fig.

9.

K^

Figs. 4-9.
of the

Inscribed bone arrow-heads foand near

Wei Hui Fu (Honan

Province).

Figs. 4-6 are in the

Koyal Asiatic Society at Shanghai, and Figs. 7-9 are in the Bergen collection (Shantung, China).

duced in

size.)

The

style of writing

is

very archaic, most of the symbols being as yet undeciphered.

the hands of a local merchant.

made known
inspection.

sold to a
lished a

This Chinese gentleman, being a friend of the writer,

the presence of these unique curiosities, and loaned them to

The balance

mandarin
book

in his

of the find

(Tao-tai)

own

Museum

(Slightly re-

had been taken

Liu T'ie-Yiin

(j|ij

^^

to

-g*).

Shanghai

him

(or elsewhere)

for

and

This Chinese scholar pub-

language, illustrated with eight hundred phototypes taken

CHALFANT: EAKLY CHINESE WRITING

from ink-rubbings of the specimens in his possession.

dred fragments were purchased by the writer for
Society, Shanghai.

Meanwhile some four hunthe Museum of the Royal Asiatic

year later (1904-5) the remaining eighteen hundred frag-

FlG. 10.

Fro. 11.

Fig. 10 is a fine specimen of ancient inscribed tortoise-shell, most of the symbols of whicli are intelligible, but the
translation difficult
Fig. 11.

guage

owing to the incompleteness of the inscription. (Actual size.)

bone fragment. The upper right two lines read
^ ]__

In.scribed

of divination

^^T

Originals of Figs. 10-11 in the Conling-Chalfant Colleoticvi, Shantung, China.

ments were

located, and, after

as private collections.

It is

some

difficulty,

now, on account of the dispersal of the

it is

i't\

I^.

(Technical lan-

a tradition

once used in divination,

(Actual

size.

were procured and are now preserved

unfortunate that the finders did not undertake to match

the fragments before disposing of them, for

While

fJi

containing date of inquiry.)

among

it is

an almost impossible task

do

this

pieces.

the C-hinese that tortoises and sacrificial bones were

yet, according to

Liu T'ie-Yiin, no one prior

published any account of the discovery of such objects.

opinion that the style of writing

to

is

He

to himself

had

further records his

old^r than that of any extant inscription.

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

32

It is possible that this archaic style of writing survived

after

it

Fig. 12.

(.

FfG.

12.

Inscribed tortoise-shell (almost complete).

pieced together from several fragments.

Date

Whatever be the date of the

ceased to be in current use.

Fio.

^) and enqniry

among

The foar sentences

as to extent of progeny.

The part missing

are alike in tenor.

The two

is

soothsayers long
inscriptions, tliey

13.

indicated by dotted lines.

Upper

This was

right reails: i'^ N/S<i'1''ttlf

left-aide sentenees contain

"

not," and

"Incky."

(Actual size.)
Fig. 13.

Inscribed tortoise-shell fragment.

(Actual size.)

(Originals of Figs. 12-13 in the Couling-Chalfant collection.)

are undoubtedly written in a very primitive form of symbols,

actual pictographs.

Only a few

many

illustrations are here given to

of which are

show the general

CHALFANT: EAKLY CHINESE WRITING

More than

style of the writing used.

38

hundred signs have been noted, the most

Some of the most striking pictographs are the

of which are (as yet) undeciphered.

six

following

"heaven"?);
or (tiger?);

"horse");

(.!|

(?);

and fs'

'^, ^^,

(stag?);

=k^,

(dragon?);

"^ and

^^ ;^

<^

(?);

-t^ (bird?);

^ ("man"? or ^
^ (scorpion?); I'
(rat?)

(symbols relating to plant-Hfe)

(?)

Fig. 14.

(Obv.)

(Text in the Modern Character.)

Rev.

'< fg

|n

^^

j^
I?)

9P

^^^Ay.^^

"1

^
s

iC

'\

I?)
1
\

/i^

il^'

Fig. 14.

Inscribed bone, with lower end missing.

Tlie rendering is

dates.

" [Date] divination.

(i

(Original in R. A. Soo.

three separate sentences differing only in the

It

appears that at least four

Museum, Shanghai.)

(^^? "capital city");

ances

The obverse has

ask the Serpent-father to enquire."

at the bottom begins what was probably the same formula with a new
Liu T'ie Yiin interprets "Serpent-father" as a mystic title of the soothsayer. The reverse records a date
^.) and undeciphered signs. Tliis fragment shows discoloration from fire. (Actual size.

enquiries are recorded, inasmuch as the sign

date.

);

(i^

(i|"horn");

(.^

"chariot");

't^ (^
)J(g"moon");

wine-jar);

*A common old form inverted.

(?)

reverence);
(jj]

"park

(halberd);

<lj {d\
").

<^

(bow);

_^(bal-

"hill"); gg("field");

MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM

34

Fig.

Fia. 15.

Figs. 15-17.

That these are

cise significance is

pictures,

hard

Fig.

16.

Inscribed tortoise-shell fragments.

.(

Actual

even the most skeptical observer

to determine.

Some

17.

size,

will admit.

of these pictographs occur

Their pre-

more than

once, but often without sufficient context to warrant a conclusion as to meaning.

I

suspect that

have astrologic

some

signs like

kiie, \J} t'ien,

significance, being

names of

ki,

stars

and

Enquiries for divination seem to have been

daughters, animals, crops, and -utensils.

"Ask

selection of

tion of the oracle

Prime Minister."
by

Fig. 18.

royalty.

One

Should

n>l>

hsin,

'J shih,

^ ching,

constellations.

made concerning

inscription

this

jc^ nii,

parents,

seems to read

prove correct

it

fjj

sons,

suggests consulta-

Chinese scholar mentions a tradition that the

Fig. 20.

Fig. 19.

^^i^*"*''^
Figs. 18-20.

Fragments with certain striking symbols,

e.

g.,

(a curious coincidence in form with our

Here it is ^ (fu) " not." Occurs also as $,#,$, (Actual size.)

(The original? ot Figs. 15-18 ^re m tUe Conling-Chalfant collection. Figs. 19 and 20 are

modern

dollar-sign).

in the Bergen collection.

oracle of

Wen Wang

CHALFANT: EARLY CHINESE WRITING

35

Kuo

Ch'eng, where the bones

proof, however,

that these inscriptions

There

were discovered.

1200 B.

(circa
is

was at Chao

C.)

no adequate

belong to so early a date.

The

Ten Stems [f f] and Twelve Branches [f

comoccur frequently, but as the combinations exceed in number the

cycle-signs (the so-called

bined in pairs)

sixty pairs of signs allotted to the cycle, I infer that they do not conform to the use

of these signs as designating years, and are intended to signify the days of the season, or of

some period

less

than a

occur in reversed order, as yp

as T,

\^,

^,

In several cases these pairs of characters

^ (Shen Kuei)

for

-^

ip,

and, more frequently singly,

At present but
tions,

year."^

little

can be said about this unique group of fragmentary inscrip-

the deciphei'ing of which will necessitate a careful study of the traditional

methods and vocabulary of astrology and soothsaying as practiced in China.

the Chinese have

many works

written

upon these

subjects, still

it

While

requires special

training in the technical terminology of divination to rightly understand them.

" See appended

list of

these signs

Plate L.

).

Memoirs Carnegie Museum, Vol.

Regular old forms

rt>
ore?

IV.

Plate

f|

^t*

/^

Tsi

Ch'ou

Yin

Mao

Ch'en

4n

63

SI

Wu

Wei

Shen

Yu

e.

if

* P

&

Hsu

Hai

L.

P5

^ 2

3"

>

ip

CO

1^

Kia

-}-

'

^F

*S

Ping

Ting

nc

^'^-

f^

j5^

>%

Ki

<!(>

;(c

'n

it

f^

^^

^l'

W
^

hF

*E

^
f^

Keng

5,;a

^^

J~

Hsin

"i

?Sc

*^*^"

Kug!

i&

PI

#t

^
f
#

i
^< ^

>f

?^ a

^l>

>f

11

A^

t^.%

il(

*
t

*a

A
.

<,

1^

;f

*^

^,rt

;k

P(

^^

^,^

1^

xc

Comparison of the Date-marks found upon the Tortoise-sliells with tlie Year-signs of the t'ycle. Tlie year-signs are successive comhinations of the
left with the twelve at the top by a method which yields sixty pairs of signs to designate each year of the cycle.
* Couplets not belonging to the cycle-series. Alternate fortns are placed side by side.

ten symhols on the

Ti

^^
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
tThi^ooki^DUEonthe last

iT

21

mmin

1947

OCT

21

date stamped below.

[JUN171955.1U

1947

Nov'49 Cr

tW

HIH181953
^

REC'D LD

-.^h(

recWd

2iAug3lty
'

MAY

-ill

,8Jan'52J'<

28Jan'53S5

FFR3 11953 LU

^%4H'u

1959

^'55441/

3Sep54WM
AUG 2 3 1954 LO

LD21-100m-12,'46(A2012sl6)4l2cr

-n^
Iff

.^^^
n:.

J^^
if'

.^''

!?/'
*j"^

s
-^i

<.- *-..^

'-^

^'--N^

,',-itri '?>

Ill-

1/^

-'.',

,1.

mm

' vj^

':'v\V,
:-

,-

>,\;'>-'4k'--

-mM-'-

.^;^!'v^'

.\,<'-H:'--^'-

'

:'',

'V'''''

i-.^v'-Mv

,.*;.

..''^ijr

.^:^.V:;;r::'.;v;,;;;vV.;'.v:Y^!^Cfc^^